Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Pray for Our City

Greetings brothers and sisters, 

I write today with a heavy heart. Yet another teenager has been shot and killed in our city, the third victim of gun violence in the last four weeks. Fifteen-year-old Janaira Muhammad was a freshman at Austin-East. Her death follows that of sixteen-year-old Stanley Freeman and fifteen-year-old Justin Taylor, both of whom were also Austin-East students. All three were the victims of gun violence. My heart grieves for their families and for this community.

There were 37 criminal homicides within Knoxville city limits in 2020, the highest number in modern history. (The average for the last two decades has been 21.) There were 35 homicides in 1992 and 1998. When you add in 8 additional homicides in the county, the total number of killings in Knox County last year was 45. All from shootings. The only positive thing to be said is that none of the murder victims in 2020 were under the age of 18.

Now, this year, there are already 4 victims under the age of 18. If you think that's bad, listen to this. There have already been 16 murders this year. Let that sink in for a moment. It is February 17th. We are six weeks into the year. We are almost halfway to the record number of homicides of last year.

It's not just East Knoxville, either. Murders have happened in other parts of Knoxville - North, South, West. Three weeks ago there was a double homicide at Cazzy's Corner Grill. Three days ago there were two shootings resulting in one death in the Cedar Bluff area. Nowhere is immune from the violence.

As I was writing that last paragraph, another news alert just flashed across my mobile phone. This afternoon, a woman driving in North Knoxville was struck by a stray bullet and crashed her car into a building. She has critical, life-threatening injuries. A stray bullet also struck a school bus. With children on board. Thankfully there were no injuries.

What is happening in our city? The same thing that is happening in cities across our country. COVID, high unemployment, housing insecurity, fear, anxiety, racial tensions - all these have led to an increase in violent crime throughout the land. For the first 6 months of 2020, homicides in the country had increased 15% over the same timeframe in 2019. At year's end, cities everywhere, including Indianapolis, Houston, Memphis, and Los Angeles, reported record high homicide figures. Almost all of them gun-related.

I don't have the answers for this epidemic of violence. I believe that increased gun regulation is a must. I do not believe an increased police presence will help. I do believe that our entire community must take each one of these homicides personally and not write any of them off to "other" people in "those" neighborhoods. I do not believe that more guns is the answer. I do believe we are being called to a time of prayer.

Let us pray for the families of the victims. Let us pray for our city. Let us pray for the police officers who are trying their best to keep the peace. Let us pray for the first responders and emergency room workers, especially those who have to watch teenagers die. Let us pray for perpetuators of violence, that they will feel the love of God. Let us pray for our country.

And then let us do something. Prayer means nothing if it doesn't lead to action. We need to act. This is unacceptable. This is not who we are called to be. I am grieving. I am angry. I am offended. I am incensed. 

How long, O Lord, will I call for help and you not listen? I cry out to you, "Violence!" but you don't deliver us. Why do you show me injustice and look at anguish so that devastation and violence are before me? There is strife and conflict abounds. Justice does not endure because the wicked surround the righteous. - Habakkuk 1:2-4

Please join me in praying for our city.

1 comment: