Saturday night I was part of a group of people -- mostly very young people -- who went on a prayer walk in the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, DC. That neighborhood is not far from my home and has been the scene of several shootings in recent days. In fact, a young African American man who had just moved to the community was shot in the early evening just a couple weeks ago. It must have been a case of mistaken identity because this young man was no gangbanger! He had just returned from serving as a missionary in China (how many African Americans do you know who can speak Mandarin?) He moved into a small apartment building owned by a ministry called Little Lights that serves children in DC. The young man's injuries are not life-threatening, but the shooting was a sober reminder of what life can be like, even for those who seek to serve God with their whole lives.
I was proud of the young people who claimed their community for the Lord Jesus Christ! They would not let acts of wickedness deter them from serving. Even the young man who had recently been shot came to pray -- while on his crutches! I encourage all urban Christians to continue to reclaim their communities for the Lord. We cannot cower in fear but must continue to share Good News and work for peace and justice. Our most basic work is that of prayer:
For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12)
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