nitty gritty

Gangs are a confusing phenomena to me.  Everyone tells me that people belong to gangs for various reasons that seem to contradict the reality of gang-life.  Being in a gang brings safety (yet they are rife with violence); gang life is all about trust (yet you are always looking over your shoulder); gangs are a family (yet the family is based on deceit and brutality); there are other reasons i guess, but it just doesn’t add up to me.  Granted, I have never lived in an environment that requires a substitute for family.  Today though, Lew & I met some kids who aren’t sure if their world could ever exist without the gangs.

Judges 6-8 are the record of Gideon’s rule as judge over Israel.  Go read right now… no, really go read it. And we’re back.

SO Gideon lived in a world wrought with fear, insecurity and lack of identity.  He wasn’t even sure when he was speaking with the Lord.  He kept needing proof. His people and his culture needed real change.  The change had to come for the Lord through a people.  If you do the math, Gideon had convinced at least 32,000 people to believe in and fight for the way of life God had designed for them.  Yes, there are other details and outcomes that were not the best, but they did bring change while they were alive.

La Limonada kids aren’t sure if change can come to their world.  Lew & I talked with them about it.  It was vaguely hopeful, and but mostly sad.  These 11-14 year old kids are already involved with gang activity (both boys & girls); hope has began to be extinguished.  Then came Gideon!

As we told the story of Gideon, they began to think out loud about change and personal commitment to it.  THough not all of them could see it, a few did. ALthough Lew and I are a little bummed about the whole thing, we are still asking the Lord to transform the hearts of Elias, Ruth, Claudia, David, Herbert, Evelyn and Edson.  We are asking the Lord to form a new gang! A gang that is more powerful and more significant than any other. A gang based on the law of love, the commands of compassion and the grip of grace.  Gideon’s Gang!