19 You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 20 And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 21 that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, like the days of the heavens above the earth. (Deuteronomy 11:19-21)
Thoughts: Our little area of the world has been a relatively crime free zone. It is one of the lowest rates of crimes/capita in our state, and one of the lower rates in our country. But yesterday we found that two teenagers (we got their pictures on video) tried to break into our church unsuccessfully the night before. We also found out that one of our Preschool teachers had her house broken into (person also caught by video tape). We found out earlier this week that gangs had been trying to infiltrate and recruit some of the kids from the poorest area of town where we do some mission work (sponsoring a women's shelter, and a community center). So crime is starting to pop into our un-gated-but-relatively safe area. What should be done?
The problem of crime will not be stopped by law-enforcement- though it will be slowed down by law enforcement. I would contend that one of the reasons crime has been low is that the majority of people in our area were churched people- who believed in values like "Thou shalt not steal" and lived more to please God than themselves. The area has attracted people at a rate of 10% per year, but while the churches have grown, they have not grown nearly enough to keep up, and now the majority do not share the common values.
But a preventative outreach to people could be found in reaching out to the children of the inhabitants in our area. If we could somehow reach the children for Christ- teaching them our values of not lying, not stealing, not committing adultery, then perhaps our area will be more harmonious and the future safety will be insured. Yes crime watch neighborhood groups, police enforcement, and education of the importance of respecting others is necessary- but the best prevention is instilled values and changed hearts.
This is an example of why Christian Preschools and Daycares are so important. I mean purposeful, value-full preschools where children are taught the Bible stories, songs, and values. If they work as they should then "a little child shall lead them" and the children bring the parents to church and the older siblings to youth group or scouts. Gangs do not work where people belong to each other and the church is strong. "The Cross and the Switchblade" is an older book about how faith fights crime and gangs. it still works today. Gangs are a secular-evil replacement for church- where people belong, good values are upheld, and children and youth are cared for. We are able, as our passage above states, to live long in the land with each other- when we teach the faith to our children (not just our own children but the children of our community).
Prayer: May I play a role in declaring your glory by teaching the next generation about you.
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