In 2014, 259 soldiers were killed in Afghanistan. In 2014, 419 people were killed in Chicago related to gang and urban violence. Black males between the ages of 16 to 25 are the most common murder victims. In Chicago, the murder rate is four times higher than New York and 2.5 times higher than Los Angeles. Chicago’s population is three times smaller than NYC and nearly twice as small as Los Angeles, ranking Chicago the highest city (among populations of one million) among homicides in the nation.
As Christians, the scripture which is supposed to be the guiding light of our lives is clear on the matter. First, God commands in John 15:12: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. And, in Deuteronomy 15:11; He goes further to say: “For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.”
Yet, here we are as Christians living in a land where murder rates among our children may soon surpass the birth rate. And we, Christians, stand by idly, watching, and praying, grieving over the loss of life, but doing very little. This is not what our God has ordained for us as Christians. The goal of this thesis project is to present a plan to do something to address the rising number of deaths in our communities, specifically in the Chicago region. However, it is our prayer that this plan may be emulated across the country, where mothers grieving the loss of a child may develop purpose and productivity from their pain.
