Yesterday I was witness to a rage…a rage like I had not seen in many years. Breanna and I were driving down Boulevard in downtown Atlanta returning from my local shoe repair place and were stopped by the light at the corner of North and Boulevard. Suddenly, out of now where these children appear…running down the side walk. It quickly became apparent that six were chasing one, and they were in full pursuit.
Almost as suddenly as they had appeared one emerged from the pack as the lead pursuer, and the young man being pursued was so full of fear that he ran into the street…directly in front of my vehicle…while the light was green. The other young man backed him into my vehicle, and took a swing, but he missed. The young man being pursued then ran around my vehicle and in front of one in the next lane over, almost being hit by the moving car. The one chasing did the same and was almost hit as well. All of this unfolded in a matter of two minutes.
I was left with one question. What causes so much angst, so much rage that you would fight in the street, in the middle of moving traffic, completely unaware of your surroundings? What could build so deeply in a 15 or 16 year old that they would risk being hit by a car just to “settle a score?”
I was shaken…I was heart broken. I knew more than ever in that moment that I had to do something about the fatherless boys in my city. I had to do something to show them the beauty of Christ…His gospel…and a life without pain and rage. The Church must father the fatherless, and bind the broken hearted.
I turned my vehicle around and went back to look for them, but just as quickly as thy had appeared, they were gone.
The last question that lingers for me is, why plant Renovation Church if things like this are left unattended in the city? My only answer is that I shouldn’t…no one should if they don’t intend on trying to reach the hardened hearts of the children of Atlanta.
Posted on July 16, 2009
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