Musing about Misery and Magnificence

Isaiah 11:6 says "The wolf will live with the lamb, the Leopard with lie down with the goat, the calf, and the lion and the yearling together; AND A Little CHILD will lead them."

We hosted a powerful, gut wrenching presentation by Brothers known as the "Lost Boys of The Sudan." Their story is nothing short of epic. As I have been reflecting on that night they spoke to my congregation a question to Peter Magai Bul and his response haunts me. He was asked "How did 9, 10, and 11 year olds develop such leadership skills in the face of the incredible odds they faced?" The questioner was referring to the fact that these boys were driven from their Dinka Village of the Sudan because of illegal, unjust war and they walked over two years first to Ethiopia and ultimately to Kenya all while fending off attacks from Northern Arab (& Africans turned against their own children) Muslim militias armed by Arab states and American support to annihilate these children. Peter told how they feared walking at night because wild animals would attack and by day the human animals were prowling. Peter said he and others (9, 10, &11 year olds) took leadership and broke the thousands of boys(at least 38,000 at start) up into groups where some would have to bury their dead, others would have to gather resources and so on.

Peter responded to the question by saying he used to sit with his Father and the Men of his village quietly while the men discussed important issues of leadership. His Father eventually seeing his interest in being a man would teach him how to handle different situations and instructed him that men lead in moments of crises.

The question that rolled around in my mind then as it has for a decade now is, "What is the difference in a boy 9, 10, 11 or 12 now days and one in the 1800's like Frederick Douglass or like Peter Magai Bul in the Sudan in these present times? How come a young man, 9, 10, 11, 12 or even 16 can't take care of himself without using a female or joining a gang? For that matter why can't so many 18, 19, 20 and 25 year olds take care of themselves and rise to leadership for other brothers their age to help them not only live but thrive and overcome like Peter did and Men like Frederick Douglass during that awful night of Chattle Slavery?

The Black boys in the 1800's or the Lost boys of the Sudan had far less than the 9, 10, 11, 19, 20 and 25 year olds have today in North America, so what is the difference? I want to say right now that what ever it is it ain't their fault!!! It ain't that they just need to pull their pants up it is much deeper than that and it holds us as an adult community accountable. What is it?