Our hometown has taken centre stage in the media for the wrong reason. Far too many lives have been cut short, destroyed leaving a legacy of heartache. The entire community pleads ‘No More Knives,’ yet the siege continues. The blades wreak havoc on our bloodstainedstreets. Understandably, residents don’t feel safe anymore.
Many have been vocal on this subject. We stood in solidarity with our community. OnSunday February 11th we hosted an Art competition under the theme ‘Precious Lives… No More Knives. All ages used their creativity to add their ‘voice’ in protest. Thirteen different interpretations of one theme, all protesting the carnage. Our three judges, Anne Pearce, Celine Gervais and Peter Burton reported a difficult task of choosing one winner from each of three categories. On two occasions (where we had a tie) the winner was decided by the popular vote (votes from the audience).
The Teens’ Ministry Team congratulates the winners of the three age categories:
8-12 years Miriam Cabral, a young artist from the community who got onboard on the eve of the competition and produced what she described apologetically as, ’not the best as I only had two hours this morning to do it.’ What would have happened had she more time?
13-17 years Chloe Francis submitted her piece with a very clear message (red paint giving a vivid impression of dripping blood), ‘DO NOT TAKE REVENGE.’ This piece won both the judges’ hearts and the popular vote.
18+ years Deborah Nero-Adeoye took the theme to another level as evidently, the spent time in research gave tribute to those who had fallen to the blade. The names of real young people and their ages at the time of death surrounded a mother cocooning her son trying to protect him as long as she possibly could. This piece was a collaborative tribute by Deborah and daughter, Kemi.
One piece in particular held a certain magnetism. It pulled people back to have a closer look, each time revealing something new. Amid the dark hues, one could see a knife in motion, its blade primed to do the unthinkable. The word ‘reflect’ created more than a pause…on second or third look, the holder of the blade was seen, the instruction to reflect was directed towards him. That pause might be all that’s needed to stop the blade in motion. Lee White-Samuels spoke to us through his reflective masterpiece.
Our 12 years young poet, Jabez Hoyte, penned two poems, worthy of prime placement. Shattered Lives initially speaks of the birth, exposes the grim impact of knife crime, then offers the solution… unity against a common enemy; violence and the father of evil. Kristian delivered an original spoken word piece with such conviction. Our resident Poet Laureate, Shaniqua Benjamin presented two poems which spoke volumes and turned the torchlight on the heart of the matter.
The high point of the afternoon was the presentation by Jermaine Wong who shared his family’s experience at losing their son in October to knife crime. Amid his pain, the peace of God is his portion. Jermaine spoke of his relationship with God strengthening and how each time he shares, not only are others encouraged, but the release gives him peace. His was a very emotive delivery; some were moved to tears. Jermaine remained confidently vulnerable while filling the space with God’s love; he expects one day to embrace those who robbed him of his son. His faith has not diminished.
Live instrumental music was very ably provided by three teens Merci Burnett, Kristian Swaby and Amelia Charles who were supported by Hopieann Platt and Elder Johnny Saul.
Everyone had the opportunity to contribute to two murals. Heartfelt messages were etched into the canvases, handprints, hearts, flowers filled spaces where words seemed insufficient. Our team of ladies created an artistic display of refreshments, most of which were contributed by our very skilled bakers.
Sharon Douglas and Ben Dantzie recognising the causes of anti-social behaviour, offered guidance, tips and signposts on the theme of conflict resolution.
It was encouraging to witness the collaboration of various ministries within our church, namely: health, women’s, prayer, production, health and safety and teens. There was a good representation from the leadership, elders and Pastors. There was collaboration with neighbouring churches, West Croydon and Hope Community Beckenham.
We look forward to taking an upscaled version to the wider community in the near future. Get your pencils and paintbrushes out, there’s still time to create your own masterpiece.
