A look at gang violence and alternatives….

Deputy DA warns parents that gangs can take the place of family ties
Press-Enterprise – Riverside,CA,USA
By DAYNA STRAEHLEY Kids getting involved in gangs is both preventable and correctable, Senior Deputy District Attorney Gerry Lopez told parents in Corona. …
See all stories on this topic

Thursday, April 16, 2009
Missionaries wage war: God vs. gangs
MORNING READ: The tough missionaries of “Lives Worth Saving” spend a Saturday night helping people in need.
By DOUG IRVING
The Orange County Register

In the quiet hour that stands between daylight and darkness, Pastor Kevin Brown leads a small band of unlikely missionaries into the uncertainty of a Santa Ana Saturday night.

There are no gangsters leering from the street corners, no drug dealers hustling across the street – not now, anyway, not here. Just an old woman down the block, turning hotdogs wrapped in bacon on a sidewalk grill, the rich smoke spicing the entire neighborhood.

This is a thought provoking ad from South Africa, too often it’s the failure of the family that opens the door for other influences. What are you doing today? Where’s your family?

The testimony of an ex crack dealer and gang leader:

A yo, fam! Time to get back on trak an’ tie up some loose ends from tha account of Jesus raisin’ His bwoy Lazarus from tha dead. We gonna take one mo’ “Heaven 4 a G” episode to do dat. I also plan to write a review of Mel Gibson’s “The Passion” after I peep it a few timez. I’m already feelin’ major heart pangz jus marinatin’ “bout dat flick. I ain’t frontin’ fam, I ain’t ready to peep it—to visually, graphically peep what my sin did to Jesus. But, I need to peep it, big time. Mo’ on dat in a latah jawn.

Yo, what can we take away wit us from tha narrative of Jesus Christ, the God-Man, raisin’ his homebwoy Lazarus from bein’ stone cold dead an’ rottin’ for four dayz? More than prolly a hundred “Heaven 4 a G” columnz could begin to unfold, but we’ll focus on a somethin’dat God brought to my feeble mind. Lol Time.

The one Reality that hits me right away iz time—God’s time. His Wayz ain’t our wayz, familia. His timing ain’t our timing. As Jesus homebwoy Peter puts it:

“Don’t overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn’t late with His promise as some count lateness.” II Peter 3:8-9a

So, God may not be so taken up wit sound bites an’ nanoseconds like we are.

Today’s early 21st Century U.S. culture relentlessly expects results, output…NOW. We thrive on fast food, regardless of health impact. We fret an’ fume when a megaburger, friez an’ a cola ain’t dished out in five minutes. Many katz don’t seem to “have time” to make a meal at they crib. Cars ain’t jus “transportation,” they rollin’ diners! lol An’ letz not even step to internet download times. Ain’t it drama to have to “live” wit a 56K modem, when other peeps got cable? lol Wuz it reeeeally all dat long ago when modemz were outside computerz ,an’ a phone handset to be inserted into two modem cups to make a connection? Yeah, it wuz, I guess…lol

Yo, the point iz dat we are conditioned today in a culture of “instant gratification.” Mos of us expect “results” pronto, no matter how complicated the process is, or what it may take be to bring them about. At no other time in human history does it seem like patience is as passé, it does right now. Yo, it be an anachronism from another time, somethin’ old heads spit about, a concept out of touch with the “reality” of post-modern life, even a vice rather than a virtue. And, the pace of life seems to be racin’ outta control…

But, tell me, fam, what would have been the “result” if Jesus hadn’t been patient. If He hadn’t waited two more days, after hearin’ dat His bwoy Lazarus wuz sick.? What would have happened if Jesus looked at dat sitchiashun, like we look at sitchiasuns today? Well, if Jesus had hoofed it to His bwoy’s crib an’ healed him, str8 up right then an therre, they wouldn’t have been no real drama. Lazarus wouldn’t have died, Yo, Martha, an’ especially Mary, wouldn’t have been put thru an emotional violation, that strung theyselves out “bout az far az peepz can be strung out. All they fam an’ friends wouldn’t have had to make dat long gloomy trip to Bethany, pourin’ they heartz out grievin’, spendin’ time, energy an’ “resources” dat they coulda bettah spent. Yo, Jesus sho could have done thangz way mo’ “efficiently,” couldn’t He? But, He didn’t. And’ He chose not to—deliberately. Why?

Well, let’s check what wouldn’t have been the “result,” if Jesus had busted a madd healin’ move, an’ “optimized” Lazarus’ sitchiashun. First, this dope account may not have even made it into Scripture. Ain’t they already some tyght accounts of Jesus healin’ blind, deaf, mute an’ crippled katz–even’ some dat were lepers? His disciple homebwoyz and His homegurls Martha and Mary wouldn’t have gained a Larger view and appreciation of Jesus, what He could do, and bettah, Who He Is. The crowd o’ mournerz wouldn’t have felt bottomless grief transformed into heartbreaking joy. Tha haters an’ religious establishment wouldn’t’ have had they world Rocked like it ill needed to be rocked, so they Know Who da Man. More important, the disciples, Martha, Mary, and believers in the crowd, wouldn’t have had their faith in Jesus stretch that critical measure from trusting Him to merely heal, to trusting Him to Resurrect—madd Glorifyin’ God, an’ ill servin’ death an’ the devil. An’ Jesus’ beloved homie Lazarus would never know the Awesome experience of being raised from the dead…Twice…lol

In a way, it all comez down to this, a Truth mah bwoy Wi’iam jus madd luvz to spit to me, cuz he know how much I feel tha eazy life:

“God is more interested in our character, than our comfort.”

Woah. U mean God will let me deal wit, let me go thru some o’ tha wackest thangs this life can drop, if He can use them to better make me like His Son– like Jesus? Word.

Mang! God, what’z UP wit dat?! lol

What’z up iz dat Jesus died not only to save believing men and women from Hell, not only to save them from sin’s stranglehold an’ power–in this life, He also died to Restore them to the Perfect Image mankind was created to have and enjoy. The first Adam lost that Image at the Fall and corrupted the pure, intimate relationship wit our Creator, for all of us. The Last Adam bought it back–at the Price of His Body an’ Blood–and Recreates any an’ all who trust Him to save them. Now, DAT’Z som Action to get in on…

ONE

sun

John 3:30

A great poem from our site:

Losses
Started in violence,

turmoil to silence,

lets memorize names,

lost screams in the sirens,

kings an tyrants,

falling the same,

will you remember me for me,

or just my name,

i was given on the street,

i would creep,

til i sleep,

an rest in peace,

now the names,

listen close as i say,

starting off with Lil Jc,

slip, trip, an tray,

JJ, Juan, Lou,

Shy an Jay,

Silent, smiley, kyle,

Grey,

blaze, smokey, luney,

an big ass tate,

C-Rocc,

speed shot,

an knocc,

maria, an Carlo,

Angel an Shocc,

Omar, Hasaan, Reload,

an drop,

clips popped an murdered them all,

six shots to pop,

an litter the walls,

bloodstains,

and names for all,

got dropped,

these are losses i felt,

cuz this shit won’t stop-

Jey

A great tune from Warrior King stressing the positives of a good education.

My Bloody Life: The Making of a Latin King (Illinois) (Paperback)

This review from Amazon.com

This is the first book since fifth grade that has actually made me cry. In fifth grade, I cried because the fictional main character’s pet goose died. I cried while reading “My Bloody Life” because “Reymundo Sanchez’s” life was non-fiction and common in our nation’s cities.

Sanchez’s eyes opened up and he ended up leaving the Latin Kings (unlike “Slim” and others who were killed instead of being allowed to leave). He writes from the perspective of an older man who is able to look back on his life and truly reflect on what the event of his life signified. Thus he is able to reflect on his decisions, then explain his thought process at the time (eg. when the 35-year-old Maria takes 13-year-old Reymundo’s virginity, he is able to say that he now realizes that what Maria did was horrible and probably ruined many future sexual experiences for him. But at that time, all he wanted was to have sex and “be a man.”)

Sanchez is able to soberly reflect on his life. The result is a flowing, “matter-of-fact” prose as he describes his introduction to alcohol and marijuana (at the age of 12), his physically abusive parents, his multiple murders, his violence against others, his physical and sexual abuse of other women, his drug dealing and cocaine addiction. The rapidity with which Sanchez went from a nice kid with good grades to an amazingly violent, self-centered gang-banger is both shocking and sad.

This was a very powerful book set in a neighborhood not too far from my house. To know the daily goings on a few miles from my house, in the neighborhood my parents grew up in is very sad. The subject matter is violent, graphic and quite disturbing, but needs to be read. You probably won’t have a good time reading this book, but you’ll be doing yourself a favor if you do. Recommended.