Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself

“Please allow me to introduce myself…”

What are your summertime memories as a child? I can remember endless days of swimming, kickball, forts in the woods, playing in the creek, blackberry picking, bike riding, trying to stay cool in the basement,…

In Brownsville, summer time brings out the vandals, carjackers, armed robbers, prostitutes… It’s been a tough few months in the community and people I know have been threatened, hurt, beaten, robbed and mugged. People have died. For now, we are doing our best to stay the tide of crime and there is a growing grass roots Neighborhood Watch program. There have been victories too; including the arrest of a notorious criminal who had been terrorizing his neighborhood.

There are many ideas on how to improve the situation in the community: a multi-community police force, stronger watch programs, armed militia, vigilantes, more unity among the community. To name a few I’ve heard.

To create a solution, we need to understand the root of the problem in Brownsville. Evil.

One of my hero’s, William Wilberforce, is best known for bringing an end to the slave trade in early 19th century England. His vision and accomplishment was even grander than this. In fact, it was God-given. “The abolition of the slave trade and the reformation of manners.” Wilberforce believed that the slave trade, and ultimately the end of slavery, would only happen upon the moral reform of his country. Moral reform at the individual level.

I’m reminded of the words of our first President in his farewell address, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.… Let it simply be asked, Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.” (Washington’s Farewell Address http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/democrac/49.htm)

To be sure, there is a relationship between our success as a community, our morality and our religion. More specifically, our devotion to biblical principles and Christian faith.

In this context, I share with you an encounter from last summer.

Last year, we put a rope swing in the backyard. It quickly became one of our favorite backyard pastimes and created quite a bit of interest among the kids in the neighborhood. One afternoon, we were entertaining “Tina”, a young neighborhood girl (about 9). She was sweet and considerate but frequently used God’s name inappropriately.

So, I decided to use this opportunity not only teach her, but have my two younger children listen and observe. I asked her if she had ever heard of the Ten Commandments. Here is the dialogue.

“Is that like when, your lost at the store and you go to the front and ask them to call your mom.”

“No, sweetie, that’s a good safety rule but that’s not one of God’s Commandments.” Turning to my kids, I asked if they could remember any.

“You shouldn’t lie… you shouldn’t steal…” Tina jumped immediately into the conversation with the following response.

“My mom stole this shirt from the Dollar General. My uncle stole us a Slip and Slide and a grill. My mom steals from my dad and my dad hits my mom. My dad is in jail. My mom was in jail when I was in her belly. Now she’s out. She stole his hat and he got mad…” The monologue went on.

In this moment of disorder, two things struck me. First, stealing, lying, cheating, physical abuse are as much as part of her culture and doctrine as honesty, compassion, love… are part of my family's. Second, she is being raised, not in an immoral family, but an amoral family.

Now, imagine an entire community of families like Tina’s. Or an entire nation. What does that community look like? Spend some time in Brownsville and you will likely see a glimpse of it. Despair. Oppression. Depression. Fear. Addiction. Chaos.

“Pleased to meet you Hope you guess my name But whats puzzling you Is the nature of my game.”

In Brownsville, our safety requires us to address the symptoms of the problem. Our future requires us to address the root. We need to be reminded that we have a hope and a future and to be “on the side of Jesus Christ”, as Wilberforce exclaimed. There is no hope and no future apart from him who created us and redeemed us.

“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.”

It's time to address our morality. It's time for the Church to wake up.