urban struggle, urban violence

Three weeks ago, Tyree Sims, a 20-year-old young man who was close to many of us here at Central Dallas Ministries over the past several years, died after being shot in the back of the head while waiting at a bus stop here in our neighborhood.

When the shooting started, everyone else was able to get away, but Tyree didn't make it.

The identity of the assailant and the motive for this terrible act of violence is still unclear.

It is possible that the person responsible was "gunning" for our young friend.

Tyree's history with us was amazing, frustrating, amusing and fairly typical of the youth we encounter and are able to draw at least as close as the edges of our world and of the new community we are trying to build.

Janet Morrison, Director of Children's and Youth Education at CDM who had the most consistent contact with Tyree and his family, wrote these words about her young friend:

"I have taken Tyree to church, dealt with he and his brother as belligerent kids, helped him with resumes as an adult. Whenever I would see Tyree, he would harass me about something. Despite him making fun of my strictness with kids and teens and my high expectations of him and his friends, I always felt there was a respect there." [Janet's comments are taken from her blog: http://janetmorrison.blogspot.com/.]

At times it is a struggle simply to stay alive in the inner city. Struggle forms a common bond here: food struggles, financial struggles, housing struggles, learning and work struggles, safety struggles.

So much potential.

So much energy and promise.

So much charisma.

So much wasted life.

So much pain and loss.

So much to do.

No time to waste on throwaway ideas or traditional approaches.

Say a prayer for Tyree's family, for Janet, for CDM and its many, many other children and for our city and your city.