| In his book, "The Audacity of Hope," presidential | | | | ages possible. If we wait too long, the children are |
| candidate Barack Obama writes that the government | | | | likely to find it difficult to resist the insidious pull of |
| could kick-start change through a transformation of | | | | the street. |
| attitudes in the communities of the urban poor, which | | | | Parents must be brought on board so they |
| is largely made up of African Americans and Latinos. | | | | understand the importance of sending their children |
| This transformation of attitudes is to begin in homes, | | | | to Church school and support the Church's efforts to |
| communities and places of worship. The Black Church | | | | educate and discipline their children so that kids know |
| has been fulfilling this role throughout its history, yet | | | | what it means to be black and educated. Many times |
| it is one that takes on new vistas of responsibility | | | | parents think they can save their children on their |
| and accountability in the 21st century. | | | | own, particularly after they have lost several children |
| One vital role the Church can play in the black | | | | to drugs, crime and early deaths. Many times they |
| community's attempt to save its young men and | | | | try to protect their children from doing the hard |
| women from a life of poverty, drugs, abuse and | | | | work necessary to rise above their life circumstances. |
| prison, is educator of the non-achievers of society. | | | | In its school, the Church must provide the support |
| While the Black Church can celebrate the | | | | individuals and families need to survive and thrive in |
| achievements of those who have found their Savior | | | | spite of the trauma, drama, tragedies, and abuses |
| and solace within its walls, it must now go to the | | | | found in our homes, communities and culture. We |
| highways and the hedges to invite the "least of | | | | must teach all persons to refuse to be overcome by |
| these" to come to the banquet that many have | | | | the injustices and inequities of life. We must instill in |
| been shut out from for far too long. With the | | | | the young a pride in being human, in playing fair, and |
| achievements and accomplishments of many in the | | | | in overcoming all obstacles in order to make a |
| community, the Church can now admit that our | | | | contribution to the world. We must acknowledge that |
| circumstances have contributed to the shaping of our | | | | doing so is heroic and worthy of sacrifice and we |
| culture, and that we can now choose to change our | | | | must celebrate the heroism of those who model this |
| culture by reshaping our circumstances. We are now | | | | behavior. |
| able to give a new definition to what it means to be | | | | In the past, individuals who suffered from cultural and |
| both "black and proud." | | | | community pathologies such as dysfunctional homes, |
| As a pastor, I know that America's churches are | | | | domestic violence, and physical and sexual abuse, |
| already doing a fine job feeding and clothing the poor. | | | | were often treated as second class citizens of the |
| But we can and must do more when confronted | | | | Church. Individuals who have suffered and continue |
| with the fact that in some of our cities 65 percent of | | | | to suffer from child abuse and other traumas, |
| young black men do not graduate from high school | | | | especially young men, were left to fend for |
| and on a national average; only 2 percent achieve the | | | | themselves. This has led to the growth of gangs and |
| goal of receiving a university degree. | | | | other subcultures within our communities, which are |
| In the Book of Matthew, Chapter 18, Jesus talks | | | | now destroying not only the lives of the people |
| about his disciples' obligation to serve and protect | | | | involved, but also our communities as well. |
| "the little ones." In order to accomplish that goal, we | | | | Pastors must make it clear that the Church is |
| must do all we can to serve the most vulnerable | | | | available to help and heal everyone and that no one |
| people in society - the children that so often fall | | | | will be rejected because of their past indiscretions. |
| through the cracks. | | | | Pastors must make it clear that the days of masking |
| How can we do this? | | | | these problems are gone forever; these problems |
| The Church must act as both school and disciplinarian | | | | must be brought to the light of day and healed. |
| in a similar fashion to what takes place in the Jewish | | | | It is also time that the black community stops reeling |
| community. After their public school day ends, Jewish | | | | from the things other communities have already |
| children go to Hebrew school several days a week to | | | | found the solutions for. It is time that the black |
| supplement their education. Instead of blaming the | | | | community begins implementing new ideas instead of |
| inadequacies of the public school system, Churches | | | | sweeping problems under the proverbial rug. It must |
| must help young black children develop the ability to | | | | start with all of us in all of our Churches across black |
| read and process information beginning at the earliest | | | | America. |