Boys 2 Men

Today I attended a community conference with my son Isiah. The "Boys 2 Men Conference" was put on by Pastor Willie D. Brown, of Faith United Baptist Church, in O'Fallon, IL. It was a great event. Pastor Brown really loves God and His people. Although the turn out was slim, those that attended were privy to passionate opinions and intense devotion from men of all kinds. Teenagers, 20, 30,40, 50 and even some 60 somethings were in attendance. It was beautiful.
As each person stood up and spoke, sharing their stories and dreams I noticed a common theme. The ills that plague 21st century teenagers are very similar to those of the 50 and 60 somethings. Drugs, violence, broken homes and the like are nothing new. Sure the times are a bit different, but the challenges and struggles are very similar.
I heard young men stating that they weren't born with the knowledge or ability to sell drugs or behave violently. They were taught. Somewhere along the line society dropped the ball. Parents, aunts and uncles, and community members failed to act. With this failure has come a lot of pain.
When young people act out they are really crying out. We misinterpret their behavior and label them. "That's a bad kid." "He's a trouble maker." "She's fast. The next thing you know that girl will be pregnant." Constant negative feedback along with negative environments produce negative results.
Conferences are great. Events are wonderful. However, we must add personal long term, individual engagement to them. these issues cannot be remedied by an event or conference. We must build relationships with one another. We must develop community. We cannot be afraid to engage people that appear to be different from us. Thinking that someone else will do it. The time to act is now! Not tomorrow. The person who must act is YOU! You will not be alone. Let's do this together. Let's help boys AND girls become men AND women.