One of the kids we work with gave me a piece of bad news.
While I always take what the kids say skeptically, this was pretty believable, considering our neighborhood.
He told me that some gangsters were on our porch a few days ago in the middle of the night. According to him, they were trying to look inside. Also according to him, there are a few different gangs, and these guys belonged to one that does robberies.
In my head, I ran through a few scenarios and thought about possibilities. I feel as if we've taken all the precautions we can take to protect ourselves, but there is still risk due to the fact that we live here and that our being white makes us targets.
Many missionaries have a mindset that says, "Well, if God wants me here, then he'll protect me." I've known missionaries for whom that philosophy didn't work out. We really can't predict or understand what God will or won't allow.
To me, it's a matter of weighing the risks and measuring them against the importance of the work. Right now, Ruthie and I understand that there is a possibility of our possessions being stolen. We live pretty simply, and most of our things can be easily replaced.
We also understand that there is a slim possibility that we will be victims of violence, although violent crime in this neighborhood is domestic 99% of the time.
Part of working in needy communities is accepting that risk. We've decided that living here, being part of this neighborhood, is vital to our ministry. If that means there's a chance of being robbed, well, I guess that's what it means.
Giving Hope, Community and Economic Opportunities to Immigrants and Refugees
What are your thoughts on protecting yourself IF anyone ever broke in with the intent of doing you harm? I look at the early church and see passivity, then comes the Just War theories. How do you feel?
ReplyDeleteI think that religious persecution and crime prevention are two different concerns.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I think it's important to be careful about the damage we do when preventing crime. I'm a big believer in the baseball bat. It's got enough whallop to prevent the crime, and enough grace not to accidentally kill anyone.
My main thing is preventing harm to Ruthie. I hope to only ever use violence when absolutely necessary, and even then to use only enough to prevent physical harm to me and Ruthie.
That's not a very well-thought-out opinion, but it's pretty much how I think about it. I treat violence like a lock on a door. Its goal is not to cause harm but to prevent greater loss.
I agree with the Baseball Bat theory. you may want to make sure you have two, though, just in case. High heeled shoes work too. the big clunkers, not the little heels. i would also suggest paintball guns. they hurt and trust me, when you've been hit by a paintball several times in one spot (like the stomach) you give up. or hit them in the neck like i did my friend on accident...
ReplyDeleteHa. Do you have someone break in on a pretty regular basis, or do you just spend a lot of time thinking through possible ways to take people out?
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