“It takes all of us — parents, teachers, neighbours, faith leaders, law enforcement and the wider community — to ensure that our children grow up in a safe, supportive and nurturing environment… it is about our collective responsibility to protect and guide the next generation… Our youth deserve our collective efforts towards providing them with the guidance, discipline, structure and support they need to become productive and responsible citizens in this country.”1
The above statements are from one of the leaders in my community after we faced a week of shocking and distressing images of our young people attacking each other in public and on school grounds. Discussions about these events, whether on social media or in person, included reasons how we find ourselves in this dire space as a community. In the middle of these discussions was the prevalent question about what can be done to change the situation along with a plethora of ideas. However the bolder and more courageous question that should be posed and considered in our discussions is “What can I do to help change the tide in my community?”
An Honest Assessment of the Situation
In the last Considerations post, we looked at how Esther rose up from her demoted place in the palace to help her fellow Jews from being annihilated by the enemy. Once she saw that she had been strategically placed in the palace for such a time as this, she bravely took on her assignment with new found vigour. You can hear her desperate need to do something about the threat to the Jews and not stand idly by in the verse below.
For how can I bear to see the calamity that is coming to my people? Or how can I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?” Esther 8:6 (ESV)
What if we looked truthfully at the dire situations in our communities in the same vein: a calamity that is coming for our people that will cause the destruction of our kindred. Would we be unable to bear it and feel compelled to do something if we looked at the situation with honest eyes and labeled it for what it is?
A Courageous Response
Often when a community is faced with a problem, the go to persons are the political leaders in the area. But they can only do so much. Imagine if each of us took a moment to consider what action we could take personally to target the problem. Instead of just relying on a small group of government officials, imagine if 10,000 adults courageously asked, “What can I do to help change the tide in my community?” Then after they considered the options available, stepped forward and became actively engaged in a meaningful way in our community to bring about change.
Imagine the impact this would have on our communities! The tide is bound to change when you have 10,000 people trying to encourage it to flow a different direction. Change would be possible because each person honestly assessed the situation, grieved about what they saw and then felt compelled to actually do something about it. It’s the decision to get oneself dirty on the frontlines to bring about the change you want to see.
An Opportunity to Do Something
“It takes all of us — parents, teachers, neighbours, faith leaders, law enforcement and the wider community — to ensure that our children grow up in a safe, supportive and nurturing environment.“
Our government official was correct in his quote above when he said it takes all of us. He was right to include faith leaders in the list of community groups who have a responsibility to provide a safe, supportive and nurturing environment. The Christian Church should be one of the first groups to be putting their hands up to say send me to the frontlines in our communities. We should already be keenly aware that there is a battle for every soul and the enemy’s plan includes killing, stealing and destroying our youth, the future of our communities.
But are we also aware, as followers of Christ, that we are the ones in our communities for such a time as this? Esther caught that truth and joined the battle for her people.
When we are told to “pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:38), do we see ourselves as the very answer to this prayer?
As the Lord seeks whom He can send to go on His behalf in our communities, will we be like Isaiah and shout boldly “Here I am! Send me.”? (Isaiah 6:8)
Are we able to watch such destruction and calamity play out in our communities without caring enough to get involved personally ourselves?
What will be your next step to help change the tide in your community?
It’s never too late for the Body of Christ to mobilize as God’s army and do something to make a difference in our community.
- https://www.royalgazette.com/education/news/article/20250322/weeks-calls-on-village-to-curb-youth-violence/ ↩︎
Considerations 