Senseless Violence – Endless Hope

As I write this, I’m still trying to comprehend the recent terrifying news out of Aurora, Colorado, about the gunman who killed 12 people and wounded another 58 in a movie theatre. What is it that compels a person to cause such harm to innocent people? Is this person beyond our care and compassion based on the terrible acts committed? What must it have been like to be sitting in a darkened theatre when this man started shooting? How much harm has been done through this act to the community that still grieves the terrible loss of young lives from the Columbine massacre that happened just a few miles away?

Unfortunately, the loss of life by violence is not limited to crazed gunmen. In Chicago, so far this year, over 300 people have been killed through gang-related violence. And, of course, domestic violence continues to impact the lives of so many, especially women and children. We don’t need to look to places like Syria and Afghanistan to see or experience the horrible results of violence; it is abundantly evident every day here in the United States.

Listening to interviews with people after tragedies, I’m totally puzzled by the logic of those who advocate for violent measures to stop violence. Several people who called into a radio talk show in Chicago the day after the shootings suggested that if only Colorado had a less restrictive concealed weapons law, more people in the theatre would have had guns and the man who started the shooting could have been stopped by a bullet. How would gun crossfire in a crowded theatre have decreased the loss of life and injury? In Chicago, a letter to the editor of one of the major newspapers proposed that the city hire military vets, arm them, and put them on the streets of Chicago with orders to shoot on sight any gang members they see.

I don’t mean to make light of these reactions. We are afraid of the violence we experience and see around us. We see it amplified by the media, glorified in movies, and we end up petrified as we live our lives. These situations bring us face to face with the reality of how fragile life can be.

Of course, God’s vision for our world and our lives is most certainly not this. Fortunately, God’s message of life – health and hope made possible in Christ – is proclaimed and inspires people to share the Good News in word and deed and make an impact by serving others. So, as I try to comprehend the reality of violence in our world, I’m also filled with hope as I see the church in action through people addressing issues to prevent violence so that the norm becomes love, honor and care for their neighbors as unique members of God’s creation. The Wheat Ridge community is regularly blessed by the opportunity to help seed some of these efforts. Among those that come to mind today are …

• The McClintock Partnership in Charlotte, North Carolina, that engages large numbers of volunteers from Christ Lutheran Church to serve at-risk students and their parents in an under-resourced public middle school;

• The Initiative Against Bullying and Violence at Concordia Lutheran Church in Chicago;

• The HOPE Schools and St. Marcus Lutheran School, where inspired teachers transform lives and bring hope to children and teens in inner-city Milwaukee through high-quality education;

• The S.H.A.P.E. Center in Detroit, established by Immanuel Lutheran Church, to provide wellness programs for inner city youth;

• The Pailalen Parental Training to Prevent Violence Program developed by Lutheran Child and Family Service of Michigan to help parents learn skills that can prevent violence by their children against self, family and others;

• The Domestic Violence Survivor’s Project, led by King of Kings Lutheran Church in Milwaukie, Oregon;

• The Living Room at Redeemer Center for Life in Minneapolis, that provides a safe place for individuals, youth and families in an underserved community to gather and to receive assistance.

Please join me in praying for leaders of these efforts and those they serve even as we ask the Lord to help us all be more effective as individuals and as the church to end the scourge of violence in our homes and communities.

“I came that you might have life, and have it to the full.”

John 10:10

School Days, School Days

As children and teachers have been returning to classrooms this fall, education sure has been in the news. Last night, I watched an ongoing segment on NBC Nightly News called “Education Nation,” during which they highlight the state of education in the United States and what can be done to improve it. Here in Chicago, there are daily headlines about a dispute between the mayor’s office and the Chicago Public School teacher’s union over the length of the school day. Perhaps you’ve seen the award-winning documentary Waiting for Superman that describes the challenges facing public schools in Washington, D.C. I saw a similar documentary on public television the other day about the Detroit public schools. While all schools seem to have significant challenges these days, those facing our urban schools seem the most daunting.

Not as widely publicized, but certainly no less important for those of us who believe in the importance of quality Christian education, is the plight of Lutheran and other faith-based schools in urban areas. For a variety of reasons, these schools, which complement as well as provide an alternative to our public schools, are disappearing from our cities. In some cities, such as Detroit and Los Angeles, Lutheran schools are on the verge of extinction.

The challenges facing Lutheran education in our cities is not limited to day schools. Christian education is a hallmark of Lutheran congregational life. Congregations provide a variety of Christian education opportunities including Sunday schools, vacation Bible schools, pre-schools, after-school and adult education programs. When urban congregations decline or lose touch with the people in their neighborhood, opportunities to touch the lives of children and families in the name of Christ are lost.

Ironically, even as many of our urban Christian education programs struggle to exist, quality Christian education continues to be highly valued by families seeking educational excellence in a safe, caring and value-rich environment. Stories abound of the great sacrifices parents are willing to make in order to place their children in such environments.

In this midst of all of this, it has been heartening to see examples of urban Lutheran congregations and agencies making a huge impact by creating innovative Christian education programs that address the needs of students and families. Consistently, the leaders of these new ministries understand that their programs are much more than educational programs. They are ministries that involve caring relationships and address the needs of body, mind and spirit in children and families. Wheat Ridge Ministries is privileged to have helped seed a variety of these new ministries over the years. Descriptions of those we are currently seeding are available on our website.

I remain very excited about our efforts to encourage and support innovative models of Christian education in our cities. Several years ago, Wheat Ridge established a Center for Urban Education Ministries. The Center is helping us provide focus to this aspect of our support for new health and human care ventures. Under the leadership of Executive Director Marlene Lund, the Center helps encourage new urban education ministries by discovering and sharing new models, connecting and convening leaders in congregations and schools who have a vision for Christian service in the city, and providing resources to assist these inspired leaders.

It is also good news that our Center is not alone. There are a variety of efforts through the Lutheran church-wide offices and other agencies and organizations to support and encourage quality Lutheran education in our cities. In Chicago, the Chicagoland Lutheran Education Foundation provides great support for Lutheran schools in the city. The Lutheran Foundations in St. Louis and Ft. Wayne also invest heavily in urban Lutheran education. Innovative new models for urban Christian schools are emerging through Lutheran leaders like Kole Knueppel (www.schoolsthatcan.org/) and Andrew Newman (http://www.hopeschools.org/ and http://www.educationalenterprises.org/).

If you’re seeing innovative and effective Christian education efforts in the city being accomplished by congregations or church agencies near you, I’d love to hear from you! In the meantime, please keep all of our Christian educators, including those who witness their faith as they serve in public school settings, in your prayers, so that through their efforts, children and families may experience the touch of the healing Christ!