Life as a youth worker in London is a colourful mixture of joyful break-throughs and devastating set backs.
In the last week in Lewisham alone I've had interactions with the Police, weapons found in the possession of young people I work with, a boy I work with got stabbed on the way to school (not fatal thankfully) and there was another stabbing in the middle of the day today.
It is so rubbish.
The last few years I have been incredibly blessed with limited violence in the borough. Violent acts have mainly happened with adults rather than young people. Now there seems to be a shift. It's not just in Lewisham either. There have been a number of violent incidents across London with stabbings in Islington and Greenwich in the last couple of weeks too.
It feels like attack.
I don't know how else to describe it. I can't understand the reasoning behind such senseless acts. It feels like there is another power at work. I'm not someone who normally jumps to over-spiritualise situations; however, at the moment I feel like there is a greater force at work than just people making stupid decisions.
Maybe that sounds weird. Maybe I'm wrong.
But I would really encourage anyone who prays to pray for peace in this city. To pray for young people to not get caught up in retaliation.
At the moment it's all I think will help.
