"I was involved heavily in drugs and gang violence.... I'm originally GD Gangster Disciples. I was the guy you didn't want to see on the streets...."
Most of us, say 99.9 percent of us, have never talked to a gang member. We probably have never seen a gang member unless he was on the nightly news. But when DeWayne Fincher, former self-professed gangbanger came up to talk, the audience was silent. Dreadlocks falling from his young head, he mesmerized everyone with his story of redemption. Of a life where "they didn't really care what I did." Of a God, working through dedicated men, who reached out and took over his life. God: 1, Gangster Disciples: 0
It was the first UNITE INDY forum. One I will never forget. A couple hundred people heard what was going on in our poorest areas, places where household income is well below the poverty level, where crime is the highest, where there are few if any employment opportunities, and where hope is almost nonexistent.
And yet, here are the very poor, in a booming metropolis, filled with Christians and others of good will, in a city administered by caring elected officials. And we wonder, "How do we turn this around?"
Our lack of sure answers cannot keep us from stepping into the problem. Our path is not lit with a thousand street lights, but it is clear that we can't just drive by or around these affected people forever. We believe the time to act is now and the people we need includes you.
Check out the link to the Forum transcript in "Building Race Relationships". Sign up for a volunteer opportunity, and respond with your thoughts about what you see here. We want to hear what you have to say!
Blessings,
Nancy
