The following data is crime data within the last two weeks in one Baltimore neighborhood. An awesome ministry I care about rests in this area. I've helped this ministry a little bit and I keep up with their activities. They are reaching people, loving them and meeting needs in the name of Jesus. They have 70 or so people gathered to form a church that "looks" exactly like their community. They are a congregation of people who live in the midst of these stats. To them every stat has a victim and that victim is a neighbor, family member or friend.
I wanted to keep them on my mind and in my prayer life so about 8 months ago I signed up on spotcrime.com to receive crime updates for their neighborhood. Seeing these updates on a regular basis helps me "See the Need" without having to ask "How can I pray for you?" Every few days I can see how to pray for their neighborhood. The people who run this church and ministry are completely volunteer and work side jobs to be able to do ministry. They are Christian special forces as far as I'm concerned.
(click the logo for your city's data)As you read this list please be aware that these are crimes only within a 2 mile radius of an inner-city church. This is one more example of city-life and why it's time for Christianity at-large to take a harder look at how to reach cities in America.
Crime Date
Robbery . Saturday, Oct 25 2008.
Assault . Thursday, Oct 23 2008.
Robbery . Sunday, Oct 19 2008.
Assault . Monday, Oct 20 2008.
Burglary . Saturday, Oct 18 2008.
Burglary . Wednesday, Oct 22 2008.
Assault . Wednesday, Oct 22 2008.
Theft . Sunday, Oct 19 2008.
Burglary . Monday, Oct 20 2008.
Theft . Tuesday, Oct 21 2008.
Assault . Sunday, Oct 19 2008.
Theft . Sunday, Oct 19 2008.
Theft . Thursday, Oct 23 2008.
Theft . Thursday, Oct 23 2008.
Theft . Sunday, Oct 19 2008.
Burglary . Tuesday, Oct 21 2008.
Theft . Monday, Oct 20 2008.
Theft . Tuesday, Oct 21 2008.
Burglary . Monday, Oct 20 2008.
Theft . Sunday, Oct 19 2008.
Burglary . Wednesday, Oct 22 2008.
Assault . Wednesday, Oct 22 2008.
Theft . Monday, Oct 20 2008.
Theft . Sunday, Oct 19 2008.
Assault . Saturday, Oct 25 2008.
Theft . Sunday, Oct 19 2008.
Burglary . Saturday, Oct 18 2008.
Theft . Thursday, Oct 23 2008.
Theft . Monday, Oct 20 2008.
Theft . Tuesday, Oct 21 2008.
Robbery . Saturday, Oct 18 2008.
Theft . Sunday, Oct 19 2008.
Theft . Thursday, Oct 23 2008.
Assault . Friday, Oct 24 2008.
Burglary . Tuesday, Oct 21 2008.
Theft . Tuesday, Oct 21 2008.
Theft . Sunday, Oct 19 2008.
Assault . Saturday, Oct 18 2008.
Theft . Monday, Oct 20 2008.
Assault . Wednesday, Oct 22 2008.
Assault . Saturday, Oct 25 2008.
Robbery . Tuesday, Oct 21 2008.
Assault . Monday, Oct 20 2008.
Assault . Sunday, Oct 19 2008.
Theft . Tuesday, Oct 21 2008.
Assault . Saturday, Oct 25 2008.
Theft . Tuesday, Oct 21 2008.
Theft . Thursday, Oct 23 2008.
Theft . Saturday, Oct 18 2008.
For more info, go to http://spotcrime.com
So I have to ask myself:
1. How many people do I know by name who live in areas with this much crime?
2. If I lived in an area with this much crime how would that affect my views of a God?
3. If God is a God of Justice, should God's people be okay with neighborhoods having this much violence and darkness?
4. If I lived here, how would I see a group of suburban Christians who come into the 'hood for 1 day every 4 months to 'get me saved'?
5. What would I think about their God as I see them pull away in their 15 passenger vans?
Is there a better way to bring Jesus to these communities and form connections with the churches who have resources- human, financial, educational, etc.? I think there is.
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