 Gangs are all throughout our city/communities and we shouldn’t view them as a problem but rather as a gospel priority. Throughout my years of doing gang ministry or just knowing gang members personally, there have been various situations and conversations that have helped me understand the realities of their lives. I remember one individual telling me about all the friends he’d lost during his lifetime and the normalcy of which he spoke about it. I recall another time when a guy pulled out a gun, showed us, and the feeling of disappointment he had in himself yet he absolutely needed it because of where he was living. I heard from guys who at a very young age, even before they entered the gang, had to pull tight on a belt as an older sibling shot heroin. I’ve heard the phrase many times, “This is all I’ve ever known, I didn’t know any other type of life.” There are plenty more stories that can be shared detailing a gang member’s experience. Where does that leave us when we begin to understand the burdens and hardships many of them go through? I see a people group in our city that has been regarded as “other” and regularly avoided. Gang members are often seen as problems. “If we can just get rid of them, get them out of our neighborhoods”, then society feels it would be better off. But what about the hearts of these individuals? What is someone supposed to do when the gang becomes the best option, or for some, the only option? What is someone supposed to do when the gang becomes the best option, or for some, the only option? I believe society has failed to properly understand a culture so marred by sin and suffering. But my hope and prayer is the church can bring forth real redemption through the person of Jesus Christ. We have a Savior that sees sin and offers forgiveness. We have a Savior that sees suffering and offers comfort and true hope. The message of the gospel offers grace and love, but how can our hearts and minds reflect the love and grace found in the message being proclaimed? In Mark 12:31, we read about the second greatest commandment: to love our neighbor as our ourselves. The vertical relationship with God (vs. 30) impacts how the horizontal relationship manifests itself with neighbors. While many Christians may have good intentions of trying to love our neighbors, we must consider the complicated nature of what this looks like when it comes to gang culture. In reality, there shouldn’t be a shift in loving no matter who a person is. But due to a lack of understanding in our society as a whole, it’s worth thinking through how to truly love our gang neighbors since it can be easy to adopt society’s state of mind. Danny NeiditchDanny Neiditch is the founder and CEO of Prodigal Sons, Inc. Born and Raised in LA, Danny is a diehard Dodgers, Lakers, and street tacos fan. You can find him on Twitter @dannyneiditch. I hope & pray that the church begins looking at this difficult topic through a biblical, gospel-focused lens rather than see all of it as a political issue.  Death is constantly happening all around our city. In these specific encounters where minorities or police are shot and killed, people are grieving over losing a loved one. The minority civilians, whether they are gang members or not, were created by God and loved by others. The officers shot down in the line of duty are God’s image bearers and loved by others as well. There is pain and suffering everywhere and we have opportunities to pray, speak the hope of the gospel into those circumstances, and provide comfort that we have experienced from the Father (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). One of the marks of a Christian in Romans 12 is to weep with those who weep. To be a Christian is to respond to the hurts and pains of others with compassion. When an African-American or Latino is shot and killed by law enforcement or if an officer is shot, our reactions should never be one of rejoicing or thinking they “deserved” it. Would we come alongside the grieving family with that sort of response? If we were grieving over the loss of a loved one, would we want someone who lacked compassion or understanding to walk alongside us in that way? It baffles and saddens me when I hear or read about professing believers assessing one of these situations and speaking in a harsh, unloving manner about the victims. It seems to be more common when civilians are shot but either way I hope Christians cultivate a heart that breaks over these circumstances rather than speaking in an unloving way. Weeping with those who weep doesn’t just include deaths but also other issues that plague communities. Within our cities and around our country, we have consistently seen hostility, discomfort, lack of trust, frustration and fear from many minorities towards the police. An uneasy guard is up within many minority communities due to past experiences. Those experiences can include unfair treatment, stereotyping, racism, physical abuse, and unfortunately death. Many throughout our country continually voice concerns and frustrations about problems within police departments. For Christians, I think it’s important to listen to those hurts and frustrations and pray for those who have been affected. There are various communities in Los Angeles that endure many of these situations. We should not assume everyone has a similar experience with police. Instead of looking to constantly find the wrong with minorities, perhaps Christians can come alongside and weep with those who’ve been mistreated, seeking to listen and learn about their experiences. Each situation is different but there is a consistent outcry. We must take the time to listen to minorities within our own circles/churches and learn how they process or wrestle through these issues. We can be praying and speaking the hope of the gospel into those hurts and frustrations if we get an opportunity. We can also see the injustices and hurts of our communities and pray God can bring reconciliation and hope. Weeping must also take place with law enforcement when they endure the hardships of their job. Many are often confronted with incredibly difficult situations that many of us don’t have to encounter. There is extreme pressure and many are trying to serve the community in an upright way. God has set them in a place of authority and even though some may misuse this position to act wrongfully towards civilians, there are many within the departments who are doing their job and trying to exercise sound judgment and bring about safe communities. We must also consider what they go through and weep with them when the difficulties of their jobs affect them or their families. They can be mistreated, stereotyped, or threatened, experiencing the same hostility, discomfort, lack of trust, frustration, and fear that civilians feel. Our hearts should break for the police as well as the communities they serve. The church can come alongside to pray and speak gospel truth into the situations affecting law enforcement. Weeping doesn’t mean you’re “choosing a side” or condoning certain actions; it reflects a heart that breaks over the fallen, sinful world and systems we live in and looking upwards for hope and comfort that can touch down on those situations. There is so much more that can be said regarding police and minority issues. I hope & pray that the church begins looking at this difficult topic through a biblical, gospel-focused lens rather than see all of it as a political issue. When there are fallen people living in a fallen world with fallen authorities, the reality is this will continue to happen. We read in Colossians 3:12-14 about putting on, as God’s chosen and beloved children, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forbearance, forgiveness, and love. As these scenarios continue to play out in communities we should cultivate the heart that Paul writes about here in Colossians 3. Let us pray, comfort, speak truth and hope, and come alongside to grieve with those who are hurting in our city. Danny NeiditchDanny Neiditch is the founder and CEO of Prodigal Sons, Inc. Born and Raised in LA, Danny is a diehard Dodgers, Lakers, and street tacos fan. You can find him on Twitter @dannyneiditch. Philippians 2 is calling us to consider others, consider the situations, consider the hurt, consider the broken, sinful world and systems we live in, and consider how Christ would love people in these scenarios. I know a mother who was aggressively forced to the ground with a gun drawn to the back of her head while her young kids watched. I know a gang member who was beat up by cops without cause and another who was shot multiple times by law enforcement-both survived but have permanent injuries as a result. I know fears that minorities have when getting pulled over and the frustrations when many are constantly shot. I know a cop who was shot at and his wife was wondering if he was going to make it home. I know officers who want to perform their jobs uprightly and do their best to serve the community but have to face some of the most evil circumstances and deal with those circumstances in a levelheaded manner. Each of these situations breaks my heart. In general our society and Christians respond poorly and unbiblically to these scenarios. Think through some of these scenarios. How quickly do we judge based on our own assumptions? Are young black or Hispanic individuals who get shot automatically thugs? Do we believe that certain minority groups are problematic street thugs and therefore most likely “up to no good”? And let’s consider scenarios with gang members and the law. Are they such “monsters” in our own minds that they deserve any sort of negative treatment by those in authority? Do we think gang members are beyond hope and whatever law enforcement does to them is something they “deserve”? Do we realize how families are hurting when they lose a loved one to an officer-involved shooting? Do we consider the fear some parents and children may feel and the constant uneasiness due to interactions they’ve personally experienced or seen their loved ones experience with police? What about the stereotyping and racism that minorities have faced from some of those who are entrusted to protect and serve? On the flipside, do we think most policemen are corrupt and none of them actually want to help serve the communities they work in? When an officer’s wife or child hears on the news about police being shot, they have the same fears and uneasiness about whether or not they’ll see their loved one come home. I think we should consider the fact that there are officers who are out there trying to do their job in a respectful, upright manner yet they constantly have to deal with some of the most horrific circumstances that many of us never have to face. Do we consider these situations from other points of view? In Philippians 2 Christians are called to humbly consider others more important than ourselves. That means that people are more important than our preconceived views, agendas, and assumptions. Consider when a family is hurting and grieving over the loss of a loved one, whether it’s a minority or an officer. Consider the role that race or stereotyping might factor in and consider how minorities in our churches might process the situation and wonder if that same thing might happen to them. Consider when a cop is simply performing his duty but is shot by a person who hates the law. Consider the high-risk moments cops face each day and trying to remain calm under that pressure. Consider a minority who gets harassed, beaten, or shot by a cop because there was a false assumption made. Philippians 2 is calling us to consider others, consider the situations, consider the hurt, consider the broken, sinful world and systems we live in, and consider how Christ would love people in these scenarios. It’s hard to see things like this happen and even hear Christians speak about how a minority “deserves” to be shot and killed because he’s probably a “thug”. How could a Christian speak so casually about a situation where someone is killed? Both officers and minorities are created in God’s image and to think of a moment where a person’s life may end, perhaps without them knowing the gospel, how could we have anything but a brokenhearted posture? Are you so committed to your worldview that young African-Americans or Latinos are “thugs” that you don’t even care about their souls? Or, on the other hand, are you so committed to your worldview that all police officers are corrupt that you don’t even care about their souls? We must cultivate a heart of compassion towards those who are enduring hardships and take time to hear other people’s experiences. Consider others more important than your self. Danny NeiditchDanny Neiditch is the founder and CEO of Prodigal Sons, Inc. Born and Raised in LA, Danny is a diehard Dodgers, Lakers, and street tacos fan. You can find him on Twitter @dannyneiditch. The gospel is what brings true heart change and lasting hope for these types of issues in our city. Many of us don’t want to think about or discuss the touchy topic of police and minority relations. I ask that you take time to read through this next series of blogs and do so with an open, humble mindset because I think this issue is very complex and people’s experiences and hurts need to be taken into consideration. I will explore ways to biblically approach situations we consistently hear about on the news and in social media regarding police and minorities. This goes beyond officer-involved shootings or the shooting of police officers but includes stereotyping, racism, fear, unfair treatment, disrespect toward authority, the pressure of dealing with intense and evil situations, as well as many other feelings, thoughts, or actions that minorities and police officers experience. I want to be clear that not all minorities and officers are at odds with one another. But as I minister to gang members and their families I do realize this is an issue that is on the forefront for many individuals. If we are going to love our neighbor, including police officers and minority communities, we must dedicate the willingness and time to biblically learn how to respond to those involved. We're All Sinners First, when it comes to the hostility we hear about between law enforcement and minority communities, at the very root is the reality that we’re all sinners. Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and fall short of God's glory. Since we’re all born with a sinful nature, sin will be evident in authority positions and in our communities. Sin is a universal problem and no one is exempt from it. Because we’re living in a fallen world, the authoritative systems of law can perpetuate sin. We must be careful not to think that just because policemen are in an authoritative role in society that automatically they are above wrongdoing. Our communities are plagued by sin as well. One can easily read about all the crime and realize how fallen our communities are. No one on this earth has escaped sin’s grasp. That is why hostility, stereotyping, disobedience to the law, violence, racism, hatred, and other sins are evident on both sides. As we process through these issues regarding cops and minorities we have to remember that our world, systems, neighborhoods, and each individual are infected by sin. What is needed is the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel is what brings true heart change and lasting hope for these types of issues in our city. Faith in Christ’s gracious sacrifice on the cross for our sin is what brings redemption and salvation. As believers, even though we’re in a fallen world, we can look to the hope of eternity with God where there will be no more pain, suffering, sin, broken authoritative systems, or broken communities. The church should be a group of people who recognizes these sin issues and offers hope. Our law enforcement and neighborhoods are full of sinners but God’s grace is far greater. Let us not think that one group is worse off than the other or one is above reproach. Instead, let us see how the gospel speaks into the brokenness and can offer hope when unfortunate situations occur. Danny NeiditchDanny Neiditch is the founder and CEO of Prodigal Sons, Inc. Born and Raised in LA, Danny is a diehard Dodgers, Lakers, and street tacos fan. You can find him on Twitter @dannyneiditch. |
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