Listen to the Message from Sunday, May 18, 2025 God's People in the City   "The Path Principle"   Bryan Hudson, DMin I want to talk to you briefly about gun violence and something called "The Path Principle."  This morning on May 20, I received an email from Anthony Beverly who is the founder and director of Stop the Violence Indianapolis. In this message, he communicated the tragic story of a 17 year old young man who died of gun violence at 29th and Dearborn here in my city of Indianapolis. First of all, I grew up six blocks from 29th in Dearborn. I'm in this neighborhood almost every day as my 88-year-old father lives in the vicinity of 34th and Dearborn.  The tragedy of the young man who died of gun violence is a story that we've heard before, but it's very important that we do not become desensitized to hearing the stories. Because each young person who dies of gun violence is a person who will not get to fulfill his or her purpose in life.  As someone who with my wife raised four children, including two sons, have worked with youth over the course of 46 years of ministry, including running a Media Camp each summer for 20 years, these stories of tragedy always strike me as being close to home. While gun violence has not touched my family directly, like you, I know someone who has been touched by it. The first thing I want to say is do not make the mistake of painting all young people, particularly young, black men, with the same broad brush. The vast majority of young people want to do the right thing, and are doing right things. I don't think of young people as being “at risk,” I think of young people as being “at promise.” This was the case with the young man whom Anthony Beverly highlighted in his communication. May and June should be a season of commencement, not a season of tragic conclusions and death. I don't know all the circumstances surrounding the death of a young man, but we do know he was attending a party.  Let me talk about "The Path Principle.” There is a story in Proverbs 7:7-15 that you can read later. It starts this way, and I will paraphrase it: “At the window of my house I looked out through the lattice. I saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who lacked judgment He was going down the street near a corner, walking along in the direction of a house at twilight, as the day was fading, as the dark of night set in. Then out came a person to meet him, and took hold of the youth and said, So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you!’ Trouble is literally looking for all of us, but especially young people because their whole life is ahead of them. Here is the Path Principle: It doesn't matter what your intentions are, it doesn't matter what you say you want to do, it only matters what path you are on. You might say that you want to go to Cincinnati, but if you're on the path of I-65 north or 1-70 west, and not I-74 east, you're not going to get to Cincinnati. Your intentions do not matter, it only matters what path you're actually on. Anthony Beverly and Stop the Violence Indianapolis has many programs to empower young people. I know many others who have programs and opportunities for young people. Many churches, including our church, New Covenant has done a lot of work to empower young people. I have supported organizations like Children's Policy and Law Initiative, Evolve with Pastor Denell Howard. Three of my children are alumni of The Center for Leadership Development, which was led in the beginning by the late Henry Bundles, Jr. and currently by Dennis E. Bland, esq..  All these are not simply programs. These are paths. Let me say this, a party is also a path. Simply “hanging out” is a path. Too many young people have lost their lives while attending a party or hanging around. No one intended to go to a party and get shot or die from gun violence. Not all parties end in violence, but youth need to consider their path.  This problem of gun violence is persistent and there's not one solution. But let me offer this one insight to parents, youth, and anyone listening:  It is always your direction that ultimately determines your destination.—it is not your intentions, not your hopes, not your dreams, not your prayers, not your beliefs. Every path leads somewhere. Your path determines your destination. Proverbs 4:26 Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established.