The real solutions to the world’s problems don’t come from the barrel of gun or the treasury of government. They come with dealing with the root causes. The broken part of the heart of humanity. What we need is to have the Glory of the LORD Revealed in hearts and lives.

Oh LORD, hear the prayer of your humble child. Our city is hurting. Shootings, fear, and increasing pressures from spiraling costs are weighing on our people. Our own sins are weighing on our souls. Let your Glory be revealed in our lives. Let my life be an example of your Glory. Let us be anxious for nothing but in everything give thanks to the Lord. Let us have faith in you and wisdom to follow your path. It is only when the glory is revealed in us will fulfillment come.

I ask this in the name of my Lord Jesus, Amen.

Reflections on the Dover killing.
Sep 4th, 2007 by David Anderson

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770901016

Kenneth Riddick will forever be 16. The Dover community is in mourning. Spontaneous memorials are popping up like fall flowers of affection. It is the number 1 topic of discussion. Kenneth was a well adjusted and well liked young man. He stayed far from trouble until one day it found him while he sat in a suv. The killer was a convicted rapist who was wanted by the police for not registering his address.

What is chilling to the Dover community, unlike the other recent crimes, is the fact that it shatters the illusion which says if you do the right thing you can avoid being a crime victim. It makes us all feel a little unsafe and unnerved. I hear parents talking about keeping their teens from downtown. If that comes to pass, it will severely hamper renewal efforts.

I would like to ask what can we do. It doesn’t seem to matter where you go. We are slipping backward on the scale distinguishing between civilization and barbarism.

I am going to take a page from my liberal friends and suggest we start tackling root causes.

I submit there are 5 root causes. The despair of poverty, the breakdown of the family, the legacy of racism, ineffective dealings with repeat offenders, and a lack of a public mental health policy.

I will justify each of these later. Here is a quick pitch. People commit crimes from every station of life, but those who grow up thinking they don’t have a future do not develop ties to the broader community and commit a disproportionate number of crimes. We have no strategy for public mental health. This means we do not invest in helping people deal with their hurts before they explode into anti-social behavior–Virgina Tech. How many articles have been written on the impact of the never formed family? Institutionalized racism stole hope and opportunity and replaced it with despair and anger. Its legacy is still felt and used by the smart criminal to convince people they have no skin in the American game therefore they have to take what was stolen from their ancestors. The remnants of racism still affects lower education, employment, housing patterns, health care, and criminal justice. Most crime is committed by people who committed other crimes. We haven’t much of a clue about rehabilitation.

What are your solutions?

Once in a while a movie inspires you. A few recent ones I have seen are Pay It Forward, Five People I Met in Heaven, and The Ultimate Gift.

The Ultimate Gift was one to add to my favorites for sure. It speeks to what is truly important in life. The greatest gifts are not financial. They are the gifts of love, caring, and character. They are the gift to dream, the gift of friendship, the gift of family, the gift of work, and the gift of gratitude. This was a story about one young man given the ultimate gift by his grandfather.

I encourage you to watch this one. It is a great story which goes beyond a tried and true story line.