Traumatized teens pray for attackers
A
church parking lot confrontation
turns ugly when a gang of teens attacks members of a
youth group. "These kids wanted blood."
By Debra Fieguth ChristianWeek staff
VICTORIA–A 16-year-old member of a church youth group was taken to hospital with serious injuries April 22 when a gang of 50 teens attacked him and his friends outside the church. Several other youth group members ended up with black eyes and bruises in the fray. So far one 16-year-old boy has been charged with assault causing bodily harm.
The experience was frightening for many of the 80-strong youth group at Lambrick Park Church. Not too many months ago, 14-year-old Reena Virk was beaten and killed by several of her peers in the same Victoria suburb of Saanich.
But instead of retaliating, the youths went back into the church to pray, not only for the victims, but also for their attackers. "We weren’t going to fight back," says Stephen Duffy, one of four youth coordinators at the church. "Not that we’re better [than the others], but Jesus said ‘blessed are the peacemakers.’"
It all started, says Duffy, when about 50 teens, mostly boys, began congregating on the church parking lot shortly before youth group was to begin. They were looking for one of the church kids, who had been involved in an altercation at a party the weekend before.
The 15-year-old boy hadn’t arrived yet, so while someone called the police, Duffy and a couple of the youths set out to meet him and urge him to turn around and go home.
The small group decided to walk the boy home, but "we looked behind and there were about 50 people charging at us." Duffy prayed, and the youth leaders and some of their group formed a circle around the boy.
They told the gang they weren’t interested in fighting, but "they were throwing insults at us. They started throwing rocks at us." They tried to break through the circle around the boy.
The police showed up, drove the boy home and the crowd dispersed, but only for a few minutes. As soon as the police were out of the way they reappeared and started attacking the handful of youth group members who had been standing by watching. As many as five were "jumping on" each youth. "These kids wanted blood."
When one of the youths said they weren’t going to fight, "they started hitting everybody. We started throwing kids off people."
One boy was on the ground getting his head kicked in. Others were crying. A 16-year-old who had tried to intervene was hit from behind, and five guys who didn’t know him began attacking him. "There were 50 of them and seven of us," says Duffy.
Spitting blood
The boy fell to the ground, hitting his head. He went into convulsions and was spitting up blood. "They were still kicking him." The leaders applied First Aid, keeping him conscious until the ambulance arrived. "He was going into shock." A week later he was still in hospital, but improving.
The youth leaders took their young people back into the church where the others were, locked the doors and explained what had happened. Duffy told them they needed to pray for everyone involved, "and ask God to help us forgive these kids."
In the aftermath of what was a traumatic experience for many of the youth group kids, the leaders are helping them sort through their emotions. "It was an ugly situation," says Duffy, "a real bizarre event, but we trust in a living God. Our bodies aren’t weapons, but tools for him."
For the 28-year-old youth leader, knowing how to handle a crisis situation is part of living according to the Bible. "Our response has to be different if we call ourselves Christians."
