Today we can chime in with the words of the prophet Jeremiah… with God’s message to God’s people, not in Zion, but particularly in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.   “Listen to the weeping of my people all across the city: ‘Isn’t the Lord in Baltimore?  Is our God no longer here?’  ….Because my people are crushed, I am crushed; darkness and despair overwhelm me.”   (adapted from Jeremiah 8:19,21)

Now we ask ourselves, what can we DO?

1.  Pray.  Alone, with your family, with any group you are a part of.

2. Be a neighbor.  Get to know the teenager across the street or down the block.  Show interest in his activities, in her school progress, in his life.  You could be the positive, stable, healthy influence that makes a difference.

3.  Speak up.  Make it clear to our elected officials and to our police department that unequal treatment based on neighborhood, age, dress or race is not tolerated in this city.

4.  Commit to being a part of our Harlem Avenue Bible Camp this summer to connect with children starved for the opportunity to engage in healthy activities that many of us take for granted.

5. Pray.  Lift up those who are weeping, those who question God’s presence, those who have been crushed by loss of property or a job, by loss of trust in a family member involved in looting, by fear, and/or by sadness.