Redemption that Looks Like a Criminal Charge

We are steady in recruitment of adult volunteer leaders. 

We always invite:  “CHANGE A LIFE.  AND IT WILL CHANGE YOU TOO.”

HS Volunteer Leaders at Christmas Party 2012

Here’s what that really looks like for one of the volunteer leaders on our team this week:

Thursday morning, Kate will send her own 3 kids off to school.   Then, instead of heading into work, she will accompany one of her other (UrbanLife student) kids to court.   Kate shouldn’t have to go.  In fact she warned Nelly against taking what turned out to be criminal action.  Sure, the words used against Nelly were wrong and hurtful.  They cut deep and inflamed her. But Kate provided solid council, rational options, and realistic warning of possible consequences.  Violence just wasn’t the best route.  Clearly it isn’t the Christian route. 

Nelly just didn’t listen.  She was too proud, too angry, too hurt.  Whatever. 

The punch was vicious.  It connected.  It jolted.  It hurt.  The crowd swarmed.  Clutching hair in the left, swinging wildly with the right.  

“A female version of Manny Pacquiao!” 

It continued for 11 seconds, at least.  May as well have been 11 minutes.  Both were pounced on.  Campus police restrained. Separated. Questioned.  School administration disciplined. 

But now a judge.

Kate could feel betrayed.  She could justify walking away.  But she’s not.  She gets it.  She holds on to the glimpses of beauty, of leadership and of maturity that she has seen in Nelly so far.  She loves like Jesus would. Unconditionally. Kate knows that her presence will make a difference.  I am convinced that Kate may be the only approving face Nelly sees on Thursday.  Kate knows that discipleship is long.  It’s a journey.  It’s not perfectly linear either.  She knows that being there Thursday will be more impactful for Nelly than any message, any small group time, and any outing that Nelly will experience all year.

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Most of us leaders need ‘the leading’ even more than students need us to lead.  That’s the truth. We are placed in a position to live out our highest calling.  There, we find ourselves in the middle of messy situations, unsolvable puzzles. We discover that some of the pressures our students face, are systemic in nature. Others are unjust at best.  In these moments, we are reminded that we are not supposed to solve kid’s problems necessarily.  We are reminded that our presence, attention, empathy, and encouragement are the most sacred things we can offer.  And we remember that we are quite small, when it comes down to it.  In these moments we see a fundamental reality that we are used to burying: We actually need God.

It’s weird to write out loud that we forget we need God.  But we do it all the time, throughout our day.   I often look to Mother Google for answers much more readily than I do to Father God.  I walk away from other’s pain far too often.   I put fork to mouth without a real moment of acknowledging where my bread really comes from.   And my relative richness (top 1% of the world) keeps me a cool 75 degrees and well fed.   Come to think of it, I don’t even viscerally remember what hunger pains feel like.  It was too long ago. Journeying with our students strips us of our simple solutions and reminds us of the truth: We need God.

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Kate will tell you that she needs God this Thursday.  But on Friday, she will also tell you that God met her.  And this whole fiasco will change her.  Kate will be more of the woman God dreamed she would be.  

*Names were changed for the sake of anonymity.