Focus Scripture: Acts 3:2-6
What would happen if highly paid, so-called “experts” paused long enough to listen to the voices of those who are closest to the problem? After all, being the targets and victims of gang violence, our young people have a great deal at stake. They might even have novel ideas on how to mine down to the causes of the issues. Instead of waiting for the next great liberator to spearhead a campaign for justice, why not empower our young people to assume a leadership role in solving their problems?
As today’s scripture indicates, sometimes gold and silver can’t buy a way out of a predicament. I submit to you that young people, themselves, are poised to tackle the issues that affect them. But they can’t do it alone. They require our support and encouragement as they think critically about areas of need, clarify the focus of their investigations, and implement just solutions driven by the social, political, and economic realities that affect them directly. They need a bit of mentoring as well as a forum to make their voices heard. Such tools would empower them to become active voices to identify new possibilities for justice making, not only for their generation but also for their posterity. Such devices, might indeed, help them “rise up and walk”?