My friend, Brenda, contacted me on Facebook about the recent stabbing that took place at the Catasauqua Playground. She asked "Could the focus of the blog be...returning to our roots, the Old Catty??? mentioning that we need to "step in and stop the madness"?" Which is a great thought, but in the Old Catty I was roughed up at the Catty Park. I was somewhere around the age 12 maybe and my cousin Sandy and her friends (do you remember this Sandy!) dared me to call someone "boy crazy". Calm words in today's society, and stupid me says out loud "Boy Crazy (insert name here)". That girl had me down on the ground faster than you can say help. I don't remember what happened after that, blocked that out, but you know I never called her that again.
Violence, unfortunately is as old as man himself. Started way back in the book of Genesis, when Cain killed Abel, that's only four chapters in of the first book of the Bible. Things have happened at the playground from before me and unfortunately will happen way after me. I agree with Brenda, we need to "step in and stop the madness?" But how? That's the really big question.
My lesson in Sunday School this morning led to a discussion of what happened at the park. Today's lesson was from the book of Jeremiah, an old Testament Prophet, who was trying to tell the people that God was there for them. The most powerful verse from the lesson was this: Jeremiah 31: 33 - This is the covenant (promise) I will make with the people, declares the Lord. "I will put the law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people" God might be putting the law in our minds but He is also putting His Love in our hearts and this is the most important part.
I have heard from people and read that the boy who intervened and was stabbed was a good boy. I think he was trying to do the right thing, he had the law and love in his heart. Doing the right thing doesn't mean that something bad can't happened to you. He probably saved the life of the 15 year old boy. I pray and I hope that you pray to that he recovers. We also need to pray for man, Nathanial Claudio, who was arrested for the stabbing, that he one day opens his heart to the love and not violence.
I have a theory that if every child went to Sunday School when they were young, we would have less people breaking the law. God becomes our conscience, we learn from Him right and wrong, as well as from our parents.
I have friends who say they didn't take their children to Sunday School because they want their children to "find God". How do you find something you never lost. Our job as adults, parents and teacher is to teach children love. To help them learn right from wrong. Yes, let's stop the madness, let's love one another and set a great example for the children of Catasauqua, the future of the world.
and that's .....another day in Catasauqua
Bev, I couldn't agree more. I too was "jumped" in 5th grade while walking home from school through the park, I was the new girl in town at that time and had to be taught who the girls were that were "in charge". I survived and there were no knives or other weapons, thank God. I grew up with Sunday school, as did my children and we are doing our best to get the grandkids involved with the church. I am so grateful to have a real church home again, for so many years we went to different churches and never really belonged. I think it is so important, and our children will find their own path with a little guidance. I love reading your blog.
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