Kill Hill

In our Youth Hall we have a Graffiti wall, where the Churched young people have drawn and written messages and pictures about their faith.

I oversee a group of unchuched young people from a local estate who come on sunday evenings to use our facilities in an open youth club.

A few weeks ago one of the young men in the group created his own image on a space in the wall using his finger and some paint from a picture that was still wet. It reads, 'Flatz Kill Hill NW7', referring to the area and building they live in, based in Mill Hill.

What interests me about this picture is the raw reality that it communicates in contrast to the other messages and pictures. The other pictures communicate a message of happiness, faith and hope. This picture/tag communicates the reality they live in. To me it says, 'We want to be a part of this, as long as you don't try to change us.'

A cry for acceptance, you could say.

Not long ago, a message of 'non-violence' was preached in the church, where the preacher stated that, as Christians, we should be passive and non-violent.

I agreed with him on some of his points, and thought he made a moderately good case - for himself.

In a middle class community, this thinking may be fine and dandy. Non violence suited his lifestyle quite well.

But what about young people who grow up in communities where they feel a need to fight their corner?

What about these young people, living in 'Kill Hill Flatz' who face violence on a daily basis and feel the need to carry weapons to help them feel safe?

What do we do about this as Youth & Community workers?

What do we do about this as the Body of Christ?

Can these young people fit into the Body of Christ as the church depicts it?

'...this faith can have nothing to do with fleeing the world, with resignation and with escapism. In this hope the soul does not soar above our vale of tears to some imagined heavenly bliss, nor does it sever itself from the earth.' (Moltmann, 1967)

Let's not accept the idealism of easy answers.

The answer to all this may be 'Jesus', but I do not believe it is enough to just speak his name and wish for the best.