Recently Shane Claiborne blogged on The Simple Way Community website after holding vigil and morning for a youth who became yet another victim of gun violence on the 3200 block of Potter Street in Kensington, Philadelphia, PA in Feb. 4th 2010. Simple Way is a New Monastic Christian Community which does admirable work in the neighborhood where they have chosen to abide with the poor. In the spirit of The Simple Way they did more than just morn. They showed up at the door step of the business which provided the weapon and sought out a humane response from its owner in pray and letters of petition.
Melting Ice and Ugliness – Shane Claiborne
Something sort of mystical and magical happened after a 19 year old kid named Papito was killed on our block a few weeks ago. As our neighborhood ached and grieved and cried with his family, we began to create a memorial for Papito where he died, a familiar ritual in the inner city. Those who knew and loved him brought photos and flowers. Kids on our block brought stuffed animals or whatever they had and laid them on the sidewalk memorial. And everyone brought candles. But here’s where the magic happened. It was the next day that the east coast was to be hammered with one of the worst snowstorms since we’ve kept records. As the snow showered down, I thought the little candles, sheltered only beneath a little shanty of soggy cardboard, would not stand a chance in the blizzard. But on they burned. Hour after hour, even through the night they burned. And the warmth of the fire melted down the snow as it fell. Flake by flake melted from the warmth of the fire. The next morning I went out to find the candles still burning, on a little patch of wet sidewalk like an oasis of warmth glowing in the middle of 2 feet of snow encroaching on all sides.
The next week we held a prayer vigil at the local gun shop, praying for an end to violence… and specifically asking and praying that the owner of “The Shooter Shop” would agree to a voluntary “Code of Conduct” drafted by Mayors from all over the country who agree that these ten simple steps would prevent deaths like Papito’s. So on February 13, we walked in silence with friends and neighbors from the candle memorial where Papito died three blocks to The Shooter Shop down the street. And we carried candles. It was there that I remembered the candles gentle warmth as it faced the coldness of a winter storm.
cont. @
http://www.thesimpleway.org/about/archive/melting-ice-and-ugliness
I think you will be surprised by what happens next.
Meanwhile light a candle and write a heart melting letter to this gun shop owner. Sample letter.
http://www.thesimpleway.org/resources/content/melting-ice-and-ugliness/sample-gunshop-letter/
Keep the candels burning.
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