There are people very upset about the graffiti on the side of the painted cinderblock wall at our local Boys and Girls Club. They want it removed immediately and the building restored to its "proper" color.
Do you think Jesus would care about the building or would He be concerned for the people who spray painted the building? Do you think He'd see the graffiti or the hurting hearts behind the graffiti?
All behavior is communication. We need to ask ourselves what behavior is telling us about the person doing it. We can't be Jesus' hands and feet if all we respond to is the behavior. We have to look deeper and then go deeper. We have to value people, not things.
This graffiti tells me the young people in our county are struggling with the suicides of their peers. Someone cared enough about the two boys to put some effort into color and design. They also cared enough to help others by adding the suicide hotline number.
You're going to whine about how something looks instead of caring about the depth of the pain these young people feel? You're going to demand someone paint it immediately instead of allowing time for healing?
You "grown" "Christian" people might consider acting like the adjectives you claim.
There could be other young people right on the edge of suicide. Can we focus on what is truly important and minister to the hurting? These teens were creative enough to find an outlet that others can also use to pay their respects without breaking any of the CoVid rules.
Do you think the families see this as a "criminal act" or as an act of love and remembrance? Does it help or hurt the families? I think it helps them. It lets them know others are thinking of their loved ones and are also hurting along with them.
If necessary I will buy the paint and do the work to repaint the cinderblocks myself when the time comes.
For now, can you narrow thinking, self-centered, self-righteous, cold-hearted folks just shut the negativity up, and let the young people express themselves? They have had enough taken from them. They are dealing with struggles you have obviously forgotten and some things you never faced as a young person.
Let them paint the entire building with every "gaudy" color if it helps ONE keep from following the same path. If you don't like looking at it, there is a simple fix. Some of you are already practicing it with the hearts of the young people:
You can turn another blind eye.
