By Pastor Tee, Pastor of Outreach

Young Black men are killing each other indiscriminately. We must respond.

On Sunday, March 19, OCMC had a service…we did not stream.

It was personal.

We were hurting from the loss of a young man in our church. We had no answers to the gun violence that took his life on March 15.

SO, WE FOCUSED ON LAMENTING TO GOD.

Lamenting is when you confess your anger and complaints to a Holy God, trust that He hears you and will respond. The Book of Lamentations, various prophetic books and some of the Psalms show the way.

In the West, we often avoid anything that looks like suffering. But to suffer and have a response to it is to be Christian (James 2:1-4). Jesus modeled this example for us. Ignoring pain when our spirit feels crushed is to not be human and makes our God small. Jesus confessed his grief to three of his disciples and to God the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane  (Matthew 26:38-39) before his arrest and execution. The proper response to a culture of violence is, even death does not have the final say. Jesus proved this through his resurrection. Having faith in God in the midst of affliction can only be the work of the Holy Spirit.

So, we prayed, we complained, we grieved, we asked God hard questions, we spoke life into our children and youth…because we love this young man, his family, our families and our community. His funeral was this past Friday.

In spite of their creativity, adolescence for Black male youth is often marked with depression, death and despair. Many of the Black males (ages 16-35) I have mentored know someone who lost their life to the streets. Those who survive and do well often struggle with survivor’s guilt.

Here are some stats from blackdemographics.com on African American Males in 2021:

• There are 20 million in the United States
• 21% (ages 18 to 64) live in poverty
• The leading cause of death up to age 44 is homicide
• 14% have a Bachelor’s degree
• 37% worked full time and only 33% make 50K or more (16 and up)

In addition, Black men raised by low-income parents face twice the risk of remaining stuck in intergenerational poverty (38%) and face a much higher chance of being incarcerated. According to Black Health Matters, exposure to entrenched poverty and violence sow seeds of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in later life.

It begs the question that David’s friends asked him: When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do? (Psalm 11:3)

The cross in the picture above holds our complaints. Can God also respond to the Black male disparities above? Yes!!! I am living proof. But we must not succumb to a spirit of fear. David expected God to move and respond. Young people out here are hurting and they need us. Can they expect us to respond? Various sectors of the city must work together, including religious institutions, to stop this carnage.

I am thankful for the programs we have targeting youth through our church and our nonprofit. OCMC started Friday Night Live, a twice monthly high energy event for middle school youth in the community to introduce them to the Gospel and Biblical values including leadership (first photo). A member in our church works for Young Life Philly and has started programs in and near several high schools. Our nonprofit, OCCCDA, operates two daily afterschool programs at nearby schools, a summer camp and a new mentoring program at a local high school.

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But there is more to be done. Get involved.

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18

A 2024 PRAYER FROM OCMC

It’s been a year today since Shikron Allen Baynard was killed. Lord in your mercy, continue to comfort and strengthen his family and friends who grieve his death. Turn our grief, our thoughts, our actions away from evil and towards peace. In your mercy, hear our prayers for safety and peace in our city and our world. Preserve the lives of our children and youth and bless them. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayers.