You can feel the grief of David as he made the
above inquiry concerning his beloved, albeit misguided, son, Absalom
(2 Samuel 18:29). The fact of the matter was that the young man
was not safe, and David was left to grieve the loss of his son.
Short of actual experience, it is hard to imagine the pain that
surrounds the loss of a child. We, like David, would gladly give
our lives to save theirs.
A short time ago the previously unimaginable happened
in Mason, Michigan. A stranger approached a 12 year-old girl in
the foyer of a church building and tried to get her to leave with
him. Thankfully, his plot was foiled by the quick-thinking girl.
Is this not a frightening thing? We never find a place where we
can slacken our vigilance over our precious children. They are
not truly safe (physically speaking) anywhere. We parents, friends,
church members must ever be on guard. Are our young people safe?
Are they safe even in our church buildings? If they are going
to be safe anywhere on earth, it would seem that this would be
the place; but, is it?
Several years ago the elders at Martinsburg asked
me to interview a local person who had expertise in child safety
in church buildings. They wanted to implement measures that added
security to the precious children that pass in and out of our
doors each week. I appreciated their concern and conducted the
interview. Much of what was suggested was implemented. Here are
just a few measures we can take to help protect our children when
they are in our buildings. I'm not talking about keeping them
out of the parking lot lest they get run over by a car or any
such thing. I'm talking about protecting them in other ways such
as being kidnapped or abused in a sexual way. Not only do these
measures protect the children, but they also protect innocent
adults from false charges of abuse.
1. We installed windows into the doors of each
classroom so anyone in the hallway can have a means to visually
check what is happening in that room at any time.
2. A teacher should never take a child to the
restroom alone. Remember, all it takes is for a charge to be made
for an adult's life to be turned upside down.
3. Have someone monitoring the hallway at all
times. For example, when a child leaves the auditorium during
worship, someone should keep a wary eye out for danger. If someone
is already occupying the restroom where the child is headed, have
the person monitoring to step in, too. This is for the protection
of all concerned.
4. Call in a child safety expert to get their
suggestions on things you can do to enhance the security of the
children that attend services where you are. Begin with the sheriff
of your county or the police chief of your town. Listen carefully
and apply diligently.
One time at Martinsburg, a young mother screamed
that she could not find her child after a morning weekday class
during a gospel meeting. The building and grounds were scoured.
People from the office building next door poured out to join the
search. Just as the father was picking up the phone to call the
police, the child was found hiding in a classroom. It was a game
to the child, but I literally thought I was going to have a heart
attack. One of the office workers from next door placed his arm
around my shoulder and assured me that everything was alright.
What he did not realize was that I had seen a black car drive
slowly through our breeze way just as class was dismissing. That
driver might have been a predator looking for just such a child.
I do not remember ever being as scared as I was that morning.
I am thankful that we have things in place that are designed to
enhance the safety of all who come.
What about the congregation you attend, or perhaps
oversee? Is the young man safe? -90 Waverly Court, Martinsburg,
WV 25401.