Daily Walking, Working, and Winning by God's Word by Rev. Dr. Alvin C. Hathaway Sr.

The escalating random violence is crippling neighborhoods throughout America. In Baltimore City we have read about eight murders within the last week. Each one more horrific that the other. Each one involving either an innocent person as a victim and an alleged African American perpetrator. Clearly a racial divide is festering that is spilling over into the political arena in the campaign for Baltimore City's States Attorney. But it is also revealing an impotence among the leadership ranks of our city. No one is speaking authoritatively and creatively on how to address the violence that is gripping our city. In my blog posted on July 29th I offered a ten point plan for reducing violence (http://www.alhathaway.com/2010/07/changing-our-communities-for-better.html). This widely posted blog did not stimulate an internet dialogue around the ideas that were suggested. Therefore, I need to go a step further and biblically challenge People of Faith and their leadership who are sitting on the sidelines and are not constructively involved in addressing this issue. I will admit that some futility has set in and that there is some therapeutic value to candlelight vigils that periodically spring up after some violent attack. But, I believe that People of Faith and their leaders are called to a greater calling in developing a systematic plan to address the violence in our city. First, I believe that their are more People of Faith than their are perpetrators of evil. Second, I believe that the People of Faith are called to possess the land in which they find themselves domiciled. Thirdly, I believe we are commanded to commit ourselves to God and to resist the devil in all of his forms and then he will flee from us. Therefore, let me state the "Proper Response to Violence by People of Faith." The leaders of Faith Communities need to meet in an emergency summit. At this summit they need to bring the zip code roles of their membership. They need to merge the membership lists into a master listing. This master listing will identify the number of Faith People in each zip code. The larger the pool of Faith Leaders coming together, the larger the pool of Faith People in each community. Then systematically target the communities with high crime and violence statistics. Organize the People of Faith into a master community organization with telecommunications capability. Assign block watchers. Conduct public demonstrations of the critical mass of people, by out door revivals, block parties, neighborhood watch, and neighborhood patrols, hold local police accountable for policing, make certain that cameras are working within these communities, identify the problem areas and notify those persons in those areas that behavior has to change, identify store owners and property owners that may be too cozy with the criminal elements and make them aware that behavior has to change. Hold city wide revivals that bring the every growing groundswell of faith people together. Pretty soon you will have a network of faith people who will be organized around exposing violent people, and curtailing criminal activity. This same network needs to work on eliminating vacant and substandard housing, generating jobs within their communities, and promoting quality education and schools within their communities. Through a process such as this we would replicate the methodology of the Hebrew people when they possessed the Land God had promised them. (Number 32) What is the problem and what would hamper such a process? The Leaders of People of Faith aren't able to come together. The People of Faith put no demands on their leaders to work together. These factors we must overcome. "Together is Better"