We've had another death in our faith community. This time it was not an elderly member who quietly drifted off to sleep only to awaken in the arms of the savior. This one was a 12-year old who was shot.
Her name was Na'Jhae and she was one of the children shot presumably by her father in the Providence Squares apartments last night. She was not a member of CLC nor did she ever attend, as far as I know. She was one of the McClintock students who joined us on Tuesday nights at the school for dinner, clubs and tutoring.
When we began this partnership with McClintock, we knew that it was going to be a lot of work. Part of it was with the sheer man-hours it takes to pull this off every week and throughout the summer. But a big reason this takes a lot of work is because we have two world colliding. Our calendar-driven, type-A personalities can't understand missing appointments--"make a list of priorities!" Our upper middle class living can't understand poverty--"make a budget!" Our two parent centered families can't understand lack of parental involvement--"get one of your parents to help you."
God knows we are trying to understand.
But the death of a 12-year old girl rocks both worlds. There is nothing good, fair or cultural about it. It's a tragedy where we both weep. But there is no one who weeps more than Jesus.
Perhaps that why Jesus makes us this promise: "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more. . ." And they only way that Jesus can keep his promise is Easter. Easter comes not only with a celebration but with hope in the midst of death. Because he lives, so do we. So does Na'Jhae.
That's something we all need to hear, no matter in which world we live.
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What a blessing the journey of understanding is for me and for many others. The McClintock Partnership has stretched and grown my faith and my joy in life. There are so many good people in this world to get to know and with whom to journey. Building relationships is really what has such a great impact - and that is always a two-way street. We stand to gain as much as we give in every situation. I give thanks for Resurrection hope in the midst of this tragedy. Na'Jhae's friends marched in the Domestic Violence march yesterday so that her death might not be in vain.
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