Pathways Campaign ~ Hope and Opportunity for Youth

Prophetic Statement

In the thirty-first chapter of Jeremiah’s prophecy, it is written:
A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation and bitter weeping,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted for her children
Because they are no more…

Today, in this city and county, mothers like Rachel weep for their children - children who are no more. Lost to senseless violence. Lost to gangs. Lost to drugs. Lost to jails and prisons. Lost to failing schools.

There are more reasons our mothers’ tears flow for their children. Families and institutions that support them are under tremendous stress. Opportunity is a diminishing dream for many of our youth. Too often, neighborhood parks are open to thugs and dealers, but closed to our children. Streets are no longer a means of safe passage for our youth. Schools do leave children behind. Few summer and entry-level jobs are available for our teens to develop job skills and earn money for college. Healthcare is a privilege often unavailable to our children. Yes, Rachel, we too weep for our youth.

The families and the congregations of the San Diego Organizing Project say “Enough!” Our faith communities, which span a variety of traditions, share a common understanding that every child is precious in God’s sight. Those who are of Christian denominations heed Jesus’ words, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Children are a blessing given to us by a loving God. Today we gather to reclaim and affirm our role as stewards of His creation and the children He has entrusted to us. Children represent our future, and so we gather here to honor our future by lifting the present. Beginning today, we prayerfully offer a new vision for our children, for our families, for our cities.

We imagine a great city and county that stands behind and for its youth. We are a community, and communities are the means by which we live with one another, support one another, and grow with one another. We have allowed economics, politics, and misplaced public priorities to dictate how our community responds to the needs of our youngest citizens and their parents. A city and county’s fiscal budget is not just an economic document. It is a statement of a city and county’s moral values. In San Diego, children have not risen as a priority. We have waited and waited and waited for that to happen, but our youth are left further and further and further behind. Let us hear God’s call: the status quo is unacceptable. It’s time for a new way.

We imagine a great city and county in which our congregations, our governments, our schools, our neighbors, and our families all value the importance of our youth – that together we dedicate ourselves to a future of hope and promise for every child. Illegal behavior, drug use, and gang lifestyles must never be acceptable alternatives to schools built on equal educational opportunity, healthy year-round recreational activities, public libraries that open the world of possibility to young readers, and the embracing love of families and friends. It’s time for a new way.

We imagine a great city and county in which no youth lacks the support of a caring adult, be it a parent, a relative, a teacher, or a mentor. Every child should be able to face the challenges of today and tomorrow with the wisdom of someone who is committed to their success in life. It’s time for a new way.

We imagine a great city and county in which civic leaders, business owners and professionals, and educators partner together to support our youth with equitable and relevant entry-level and summer job opportunities and training. It’s time for a new way.

We imagine a great city and county that supports parents who need assistance raising and caring for their children by providing appropriate social services and outreach specialists who help youth and teens realize their full potential. It’s time for a new way.

We imagine a great city and county where the end of the school day does not mean the end of a day’s learning. After-school gathering places for youth ought not be street corners or liquor store parking lots. This can, and should, be a city and county where recreation and educational enrichment programs occur in schools, parks, libraries, and youth centers – no matter what hour of the day it is. It’s time for a new way.

Our Old Testament story of Rachel began in despair, but it does become a story of hope. In Jeremiah’s prophecy, after listening to her cries, the Lord says to Rachel,
“Refrain your voice from weeping,
And your eyes from tears;
For your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord…”

Our Lord speaks to us as well. Let us refrain from weeping. Let us dry our tears. Let us seek our reward.

Let us join together affirmatively on behalf of all youth, that every child truly is the blessing of a loving God. Let our work be work of hope, not despair. Let this be a year of Jubilee for our children.

Today in this place and in the sight of a loving Father, we declare 2008 in San Diego to be the Year of Our Youth. It is time for a new way.

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