Felt Needs
The felt needs of
city so big and even a borough so big is hard to get a grasp on.
Most of what I know is from personal experiences. I've tasted and
I've seen what the Bronx has to offer and a thing they need
desperately is to taste and see God in all his glory and power.
Before I go into the things that I've seen and what other people have
to say about the city I must cover the most foundational and
important felt need of the city. That need, that lack is Jesus
himself. The power of the cross has not been accepted into the
hearts and lives of so many. It's not hard to see in the faces and
the eyes of those you walk by and sit next to in the subway. The joy
of the Lord is hard to come by. It's not the norm and is surprising
when you see it. Faith in something other than your own strength and
power is even harder to come by.
I am overwhelmed by
the enormity of the needs of this city and specifically the borough
of the Bronx. I'm overwhelmed because I care, because I see
something that I know needs to be changed with no earthly idea how to
do it. The one thing I know is that God is more than able to revive
this city from despair. I'll go over some of the common things that
I have witnessed as I've lived and worked with people from the Bronx.
The Bronx is a very
unique part of the city. Most people take pride in living in the
“BX” and especially take pride in their beloved Yankees. The
culture is always changing and molding, but at the same time the
foundations of it remain the same. The “fight first”, “be
tough”, “can't look weak” attitude is so prevalent in little
kids to grown adults. It's the one thing that always sticks out when
I think of the people in the Bronx that I've worked with. As I've
been on buses I've seen people fighting on the street, I've seen
people just about to get into it on the subway, and I've broken up so
many kids from throwing punches at one another. I've heard from so
many kids how they have to keep up this image of being tough,
especially at school. The school is a place where if you are weak
you are going to be taken advantage of. To walk like Jesus did in
love and compassion is to be beaten up, stolen from, mocked and
oppressed. Even teachers are abused in the schools. The children
have been so engrained by their siblings and parents to stand up for
themselves. I remember kids telling me that their mom told them if
someone hit them to hit them back. There is no sense of forgiveness,
or peace, or love for one another. It is all about me and protecting
me. In some neighborhoods that is how some survive. It's survival
and its protecting their families. Neighborhoods where gangs run it
and if you don't join you better watch your back. Kids as young as
13 are involved in gangs, because its culture and its the only way
they know how to protect themselves.
In my opinion the
protect yourself mentality is the biggest issue in the Bronx. It's
the cause of so much violence and it's the enemies way of
dis-unifying communities, families, races, income levels and just
about anything else. Because people wont look out for one another
they have a broken society living opposite of the Kingdom of God. A
physical felt need is poverty. The Bronx is one of the poorest
places in all of the United States. “The
situation is even more dire in the South Bronx, which constitutes
Congressional District 16, the poorest congressional district in the
country, where the poverty rate is 36.9% and the severe poverty rate
is 16.6%”[1].
The South Bronx is the poorest place in the whole country. It is
one of the highest areas of homelessness and prostitution. I've been
here and done ministry here and you don't get far before seeing women
on the street prostituting themselves and homeless people living in
dumpsters. A dumpster is literally someones home and others live in
abandoned warehouses. Grandparents, parents and children often live
in tiny homes filled with so much stuff your not sure where to walk.
There are homes infested with roaches and stairwells with trash up to
your waste.
Drugs
are a huge issue in the Bronx as well. Some neighborhoods like the
Tremont neighborhood in the Bronx is plagued with drugs and violence
[2]. Many inmates in the New York State Prison have their homes in
Tremont. It's not a pretty neighborhood and actually parallels many
other neighborhoods in the Bronx that deal with the same issues.
What does it all come down to? Well if you look at the families
you'll see that many are young parents. Many are just young women.
The men have disappeared and gone to the next woman who can give him
more pleasure. Responsibility in young men is hard to come by. Many
are just looking out for themselves and leave many young women left
with babies to care for, feed, and nurture on their own. Many kids
grow up without knowing their fathers. It's the norm, it's common,
and is accepted by many women as just the way it is. The Bronx needs
fathers. If they Bronx had fathers they wouldn't have half as many
of the issues that they do have. “Using
federal statistics, the borough president made the case for the
effects of fatherless-homes in the communities of the Bronx, which he
said was the county with the highest rate of single-family
households. According to Díaz, 71 percent of students who drop out
of high school and 63 percent of youth who commit suicide are from
“father-less homes.” Díaz, who became a teenage father while a
senior at Stevenson High School in the Bronx, said the topic of
fatherhood and the increasing number of father-less homes was one of
the “most personal” for him to talk about. In recognizing the
challenges fathers face in society, he also emphasized the importance
of men taking responsibility as a parent”
[3]. You can see the statistics above, but it will only take you an
hour walking through the streets of the Bronx to find this to be
true. It's hard to find fathers with their kids or taking care of a
family. A lot harder than it is anywhere else you might go.
There
are hundreds of issues in the and here is a statement from Elvira
Black, who lives in the Bronx, “There
are some signs of improvement, such as a state of the art library and
cultural center which replaced the old dilapidated library across the
street. But plans to turn an old, huge armory into a shopping center
is a project that has been talked about for many years, to no avail.
The confluence of poverty, lack of resources especially for youth,
failing schools and high dropout rates, drugs, and gangs makes it
hard to envision many young people rising above the Boogie Down
zeitgiest.”[4].
There is hope and there is talk of hope for the Bronx, but maybe the
reason why things haven't progressed quickly is because Jesus has
not completely overtaken this desperate land. A land of great
culture and history, of pride and of many problems can only be
restored by the gospel of Christ. It will be the only thing to
sustain a restoration of the family, poverty, violence and all their
other struggles.
Evangelism
For
the Bronx a huge barrier to the message of salvation is the physical
needs of the people. It's not a third world country, but there are
plenty of people living in poverty. There's a number of things that
could hinder the message going forth. I would do would I could to
merge mercy ministry with preaching the gospel. People are annoyed
of loud, street preaching, in your face ministry efforts. They
quickly tune it out and move on. The message of the gospel would
have to come in a unique and different way. Maybe something as
simple as caring for their needs. The quickest way to their soul may
be to reach their physical need. Their hearts may open as we pour
into their lives sacrificially and actually help with in areas that
they need help. All through the Old Testament the judges and the
prophets speak about repentance and turning from sin. The Israelites
were often going back to immorality and idol worship. I think the
people of New York have heard this message enough. They've had
enough talk about how sinful they are and how much God is not pleased
with their sin. They know this message all too well. The message of
condemnation has been preached and I think its finally a time to
preach by example. Where do we look for this? We can look at the
gospels and especially in Matthew. Jesus lived a life of sacrifice
and a life in service of others. He laid down his own rights.
Matthew 16:21 explains how Jesus came to be a sacrifice for us. He
didn't come to be rich, or to rule the governments of the world, but
he came to lay down his life for all people. This is the best way we
can “preach” to the people in the Bronx. We must live a life of
radical sacrifice and service to those around. Because the Bronx is
in so much need it will take much sacrifice and much service. Jesus
also faced persecution and made himself low so that God would raise
him up later. Jesus didn't have a large following because he told
people how sinful they were, but because of his extravagant love for
them. I think this is an excellent model to go about evangelizing
the Bronx. Jesus didn't have crowds follow him because he was
arrogant and loud and confident. He had crowds because of the power
of God in him. He loved, and served, and healed. Everything he did
was for others. He lived a life of radical sacrifice and I don't
think he regretted it for a second. When you begin to live more for
those around you, you will begin to learn what it means to live.
This
message from Ecclesiastes can help transform the culture and
worldview of people in the Bronx who live their lives seeking money
and things. To those working to make your name great, or looking at
those with riches with jealousy Solomon has something to say to you.
Solomon had more money and possessions than anyone ever. He had more
women, clothes, and lavish things than anyone could ever ask for. He
had it all, yet he says it was nothing to him. It meant nothing. We
can look at his life and his wisdom so we don't waste our lives on
foolish things. Ecc 6:2 says, “God gives some people great wealth
and honor and everything they could ever want, but then he doesn't
give them the chance to enjoy these things. They die, and someone
else, even a stranger, ends up enjoying their wealth! This is
meaningless, a sickening tragedy.” Why do we seek after these
things that we will only briefly be able to enjoy or not to be able
to enjoy at all? What's the point? Think about it, what will it
benefit you to live you whole life searching for something that wont
bring you fulfillment. For those of you with nothing only desiring
to have more, Solomon has this to say in Ecc 6:9, “Enjoy what you
have rather than desiring what you don't have. Just dreaming about
nice things is meaningless- like chasing the wind.” Why spend your
life in misery and jealously longing for something you don't have.
You can find joy in what you do have and in what God has already
blessed you with. Sure money can get you things, “but only wisdom
can save your life” (7:12). Wisdom is seeking after God, not
after the riches of this earth. They will pass away. You can be a
fool and chase the wind all day, but God says that there's more to
this life. Fear Him, and obey His commands and your life will find
meaning. Turn from your selfish desires and make Jesus Lord of our
life. That is where true treasure lies and where you will be
fulfilled for eternity.
One
of the most amazing things about the message of salvation is that it
is all encompassing. No one gets left out. Not the poor the weak
and the oppressed. Jesus says that he came for those who knew they
needed a savior (James 2:5). He came for the sinners and for the
weak and the poor. He came for the rich, but describes how difficult
it would be for them to receive his message. They need to know how
much God is for them and wants to protect them (Psalm 14:6). They
don't need to protect themselves, but they actually have someone who
will defend them just as he defended the Israelites for hundreds of
years. God protected them from pharaoh, and brought them through
many exiles. The Old Testament testifies God's protection over the
weak and the poor. And in the New Testament God isn't out to make
life horrible or so full of rules that we can't enjoy life. His law
is life, his law is freedom. When you live the way Jesus taught us
to live you will have fulfillment, life will be a joy. You can't
escape the goodness of God especially when you are walking humbly.
Discipleship
This
is so key in working with young kids or teens from the city. They
need discipleship and they want discipleship. One these guys trust
you and respect you they want to learn more from you. It's an
amazing thing, but we must be ready and willing to pursue
discipleship with them. Families need discipleship in how to work
together and to love one another. There are many stresses on
families in the Bronx and sometimes having someone come in to help
bring a godly perspective can go a long way. Be prepared for ups and
downs and for a long time investment into the lives of people you are
discipling.
There
are so many guys pretending to be Davids. They lead gangs, they
bring terror wherever they go, and they think they are the toughest
thing around. Guys think that they are brave and strong but in
reality they are just fools believing a lie from the enemy. A true
David fights for the weak, he is strong in his weakness, and he
leaves revenge for the Lord. The character of David is not a common
thing among the streets. He is someone who stands out, who is ready
to be ridiculed for standing up for what he knows to be true. He
stands up for righteousness and peace. He's not weak, because God is
on his side and he knows it. He's brave not because of anything he
has done, but because of the one who is on his side. David didn't
take credit for being a great man, but understood that everything he
has and everything he is is because of God. David was generous with
his praise and didn't take glory for himself. Now its time for a
generation of young men and women to lead the way in living like
David. To stand up for peace and to be humble. Don't try to do this
on your own, but seek out others who have similar desires and older
men or women who can lead you.
One
thing you find so often is people who like to talk. Usually the
talking isn't benefiting anyone and cuts down at others. It's a
problem all over but definitely something that as a follower of
Christ we should tame. The power of the tongue. Its the mightiest
instrument we have in our body. It has the power to bring death and
to bring life. How often do you use it to bring life? How often do
you use it to build community and to build up your family? How often
are you bringing life to those you say you love? Prov 15:4 says,
“Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the
spirit.” It seems to me that we've made it the cool thing to do to
crush someone's spirit. We try to bring down everyone around us so
that we can puff ourselves up. The bible has a lot to say about such
things. There is judgment for those who try to build themselves up
instead of building those around us up. You were given a tongue to
glorify God and to love Him by loving those around you. Your tongue
is a powerful tool for good, but when mixed with a evil heart it
produces death to everyone around. Your tongue will tell you exactly
where your heart is. What you speak out is who you are. We can make
lots of excuses about what comes out of our mouth. That we were just
angry, or tired, or it was just a joke, but in reality your mouth
only produces what is inside your heart. We need a generation who
will show that they can control their words and their actions. We
need a generation that will look back at its past and remember what
their city was once like.
New
York City is a city founded on Christian principles. Back in the
1600's it was place of Christian lifestyles and Christian morals.
Before it was a huge city it was a small community where everyone
knew each other and where the church was a foundation for the
community. Over time the city grew and the close knit communities
were harder to come by. Like the Israelites in the time of the
judges, the city has turned from God and from Christian lifestyles
into pagan living. They now worship shoes, clothes, money and all
things material. It used to be that people were content and happy
and thankful for what they had. They didn't have much and sometimes
having a roof over their head and a community to come along side them
was enough. Now we're not happy unless we have the newest iphone,
newest shoes, or that we are in with the newest styles. None of
which brings happiness. The Israelites never found happiness in
turning from God and they refused to obey Him long enough to find
happiness in obedience to Him. So basically its time to be
intentional about uniting communities together and to living a life
completely opposite to the worldly ways of most in the Bronx. Its
time to once again look out for one another, love one another and
worship God with one another. You will find you're true fulfillment
not in things, but in God and in the principles He has laid out for
us. They don't limit us but they free us.
Something
that is needed in the culture in the Bronx is purity. Sexual
perversion is the norm, un-wed mothers has become the norm and in a
culture driven by sexual desires and impurity Song of Solomon has a
lot to say. Everything our flesh desires when it comes to sex and
intimacy is good, but it must wait (7:13). Anything outside of God's
design for sex brings death. Song of Solomon shows the beauty and
the fulfillment when we do things the way God designed. The bible is
full of stories of men and women who try to do things their own way.
It never works, not once. God is sovereign, and whatever He has set
up for us is the best way. Everything else is like knock offs. It's
bootleg, it's fake, it's not the real thing. Only God has the real
deal.
Mobilization
As
far as mobilization I don't think this one will be too difficult when
you have people truly transformed by the gospel. Most people from
the Bronx don't have trouble speaking up and they could have a huge
impact on the kingdom of God. I think there needs to be
accountability just as Paul held his churches accountable. They need
to know someone is leading them and is going to guide them. Left on
their own it is so easy to get washed away by the world. Also, like
many of the prophets of the old testament that led the people to
repentance and righteousness. If you can have leaders that will lead
in those ways you will have many passionate people that can make
changes in their culture. The biggest hindrance to mobilization is
leaders to lead these passionate people. Too often they are left on
their own and end up making many mistakes that could be avoided had
they had godly leadership.
What
could that leadership and accountability look like? I think small
communities of people with common goals would work well. Yes of
course big churches are making big differences with their many
resources, but I think there's a generation of younger people that
would thrive in smaller communities. Plugging into churches is key,
and I think having a group of people that will dedicate themselves to
one another like we see with the disciples will go a long way for the
furtherance of the gospel. They lived under Jesus' teachings and
company for awhile as they developed and matured. They had each
other to lean on and grow together with. Once their leader left they
were sent to the whole world. Even then they were not alone and had
each other. Even if it was two by two they had someone else to
challenge them and encourage them to keep going and living
righteously. If we can model something like Jesus' ministry with his
disciples I think there is much hope for the Bronx. There are many
young people with amazing leadership qualities that just need
maturity. A little while under good leadership in a good community
and they can be sent out to do the same with others.
God
is wanting the streets of the Bronx to shout out His praise. His
desire is for the streets to end with sinning and begin with love for
one another. He wants the hate for one another to stop, for gangs to
end, for broken families to end, for immorality to end, and for
people to see God for who He truly is. As someone who cares and
wants to bring restoration for a city that needs it. Don't lose hope
in what God can do to this city. Its not over and its not hopeless.
The power of the gospel can change the hardest of hearts and can
bring cities to their knees in worship to Him.
Bibliography
1. http://www.icphusa.org/index.asp?page=16&report=90&pg=17. ICPH, "Reports and Briefs, A Bronx Tale: The Doorway to Homelessness in New York City", February 2012.
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tremont,_Bronx#Social_problems. Wikipedia, Tremont, Bronx. December 3, 2012
3. http://bronxfreepress.com/archives/2012/0404/feature_story_2.html. The Bronx Free Press. 'Talk and Taking Action: Bronx Fathers Summit". Marisol Rodriguez. April 4, 2012.
4. http://blogcritics.org/culture/article/slumming-it-in-the-bronx/. Blog Critics. "Slumming it in the Bronx". Elvira Black. May 10, 2010.
