For me, as dangerous and serious as the issue of youth and gun violence in our city is, we have to look at foundational issues; at deeper matters which till the soil of their lives:  poverty, drugs, lack of educational support, lack of parental involvement, and lack of sufficient life mentors. We the faith community must get more directly involved in the lives of these young people in all of these critical areas if we expect the turn toward guns and violence to lessen. God needs us to till a different kind of soil in their lives –love, compassion, time commitment, sharing of resources.