This week it was widely reported by the media of the sudden increase in knife crime across the country. This was stirred by yet more innocent deaths of a young girl Jodie Chesney, from Romford, east London, and a young man Yousef Ghaleb Makki, both aged 17. The issues and the reasons behind the sudden peak seem unexplainable and lack all reason and rational, where parents are forced to go through the trauma of having to bury their children.
These recurring mindless acts of violence that seem to be consuming our streets have left politicians and the various authorities at a blank as to how they can address, prevent and resolve this continuous plague of violence.
In a society that has now become more interested in political correctness, rather than family correctness, we seem unable to curb the spiral of violence. Whilst we seek to establish who is to blame, knife crime and violent acts continue to impact families, schools,
“What do we know to be true about gang violence? We know we will fail if we fixate on the symptoms and not address what undergirds it” – Greg Boyle
Scripture tells us in Matthew 26:52, the words of Jesus, “… all who will take up the sword, will die by the sword.”
All of the victims had their future ahead of them, many had plans, some were already on the road to realising the fulfillment of their aspirations and dreams, but had them suddenly and disturbingly snatched from them, their families and their friends.
From this week, let us regard, as our responsibility, the need to encourage our young men and women to handle their disagreements, aspirations, and challenges away from acts of violence and to hold in high regard the lives of God’s creation of young men and young women.