Students Living in Fear

The most recent mass shooting took place in a country and western club in Thousand Oaks, California.  The affluent community of Thousand Oaks has a reputation for being one of the safest cities in the United States.  Once again many of those inside the Borderline Bar and Grill were young adults celebrating the weekly College Night.  The event only reinforces the conclusion reached in The Barna Report on Generation Z: Real Safety is a Myth for this group.  

This is the cohort that has grown up post 9/11.   The threat of domestic and international terrorism is all they have known.  We are coming up on the 10^th anniversary of the Columbine Massacre.  At the time it seemed like an isolated tragedy.  Unfortunately school shootings have become almost weekly occurrences. 

  

The November 5, 20188 issue of Time Magazine focused on the issue of gun control.  One article referenced the experience of a middle school music teacher in Dallas.  Each year Beth Poquette Drew asks her students to create a “respect agreement” outlining how they would treat each other. This year in addition to the “listen to each other” and “respect each other’s space” one of the first things to come up was “Don’t shoot each other.”  A reality is both kids and their parents live each day in constant fear.

An obvious response for the Christian community is to offer our children, teens and young adults a safe place, but it needs to go further than just an increased sense of safety.  We can keep the doors locked, provide our staff with training, and install security cameras, but the security measures need to only be the beginning.  We need to covey the peace and confidence that can only come through faith in Jesus Christ. 

Living in fear is nothing new to the church. First Century Christians lived in constant fear that the next knock on the door might mean they were headed to prison.  Many of them were martyred but still they not only kept the faith but shouted it from the rooftops.  The scriptures are full of reminders that as Christians we are to live fearlessly.  “The Lord is with me, I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me” (Psalm 118:6).  Yet to today in parts of the world Christians meet in secret because to do so publicly would put them at risk. 

Paul reminded Timothy, “God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, love, self -discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7).  As adults we need to not only provide a safe place but model that fearless spirit and live boldly and confidently without fear.