Our Most Frequently Asked Question
I felt in my body the echo of gunfire that day like it was happening right outside our house. Because it was.
Multiple shots–at least 16–in a piercing, paralyzing moment. I was stunned.
After making sure Emily and the kids were okay, I slowly made my way outside to where I had been standing just moments before. A friend was cutting our lawn at 44House and saw it all happen about 10 feet away. My friend and I had been talking and, after I returned to the 42House, a car slowly drove up to the corner. A guy in a hoodie jumped out and unloaded towards a local dealer on our block. They jumped back in and sped off. Praise God, no one was injured.
I would have been standing there if I had waited 30 seconds. On any given day, at any time, something like this can happen. This is the reality of living on our block in Chester.
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By far, this is the question we get asked most frequently: “Is it safe where you live?”
Life in Chester is raw and unpredictable: our safety is in the balance of love and surrender.
Most people ask if Emily and I feel safe with our kids. We always say the same thing… yes, we feel safe. This is our home and we’re here everyday. But living in the city versus living in the suburbs are two different ways of life. We keep our eyes open to what’s happening on the block.
A year ago, it was a murder about 20 yards from our house. A few weeks ago, a murder not two blocks away. And most recently, this attempted drive-by no more than a few feet away.
Almost daily we hear the roaring sirens of police, ambulance and fire trucks. Gunshots nearly everyday. Even as I write this, I can hear first responder sirens rush down our block.
We live among the drug dealers and prostitutes, the fatherless and abused. Conversations with neighbors are scented with weed and booze. A phone call can mean another jail sentence, relapse, or overdose.
Above all this danger, our hearts are about loving the people. The people we build up around us–in addition to God’s protective hand–are our safety. Over the past week we hosted 25 people for church, 10 people at our recovery meeting, 8 people for discipleship, over 50 people for our Tuesday food outreach, plus faithful volunteers that join us on various days.
We know their names and stories. We relate to their heartbreak and invest in what happens next for them. Our Greenhouse Project team really believes–by faith and by sight–that neighbors and communities can be restored to health and hope through Jesus-driven, authentic connection for the long haul. Get uncomfortable, step into someone’s pain with them, and love them like Jesus.
People regularly want to know if it is safe to come to Greenhouse Project. They want to know if our family is safe. One person asked if it was safe to come to our home church; another guy said he won't come unless a friend is with with him.
While we can’t promise another violent blast won’t happen, we can promise the step of faith to visit our block to connect with real people is always worth the risk.