Derrick Cash and a Plea for Our Youth
I met Derrick Cash almost five years ago. Every other Friday, Immanuel Community Church would gather on the Lafitte Greenway near Sojourner Truth Neighborhood Center to play flag football. Derrick and his brother, Dedrick, were consistent attendees despite being some of the youngest boys playing. He was always quick to smile, laugh, and jokingly rib any and all (including the adults leading the game).
When my wife and I moved into the neighborhood, Derrick was a frequent guest at our apartment, joining us for Bible study, asking for a drink on a hot summer day, or just dropping by to say hello. Whenever I saw Derrick playing at Lemann Park, he would often throw his arm around my shoulder as he introduced me to his friends. I will always remember the day that he interrupted a family walk in order to challenge us to a race. After sprinting down the Greenway and losing to both me and my wife, Derrick playfully informed us that he “wasn’t really trying” and bounded away with an ear-to-ear grin on his face.
Derrick was full of life, which makes his death all the more a tragedy. According to local news, Derrick was found shot and gasping for breath on the side of the road this Wednesday morning. “The smallest caskets are the heaviest,” and Derrick’s passing is heartbreaking. Many members of Harvest Church and Immanuel Community Church loved and treasured Derrick. We will miss him dearly. We pray that the God of all comfort would comfort Derrrick’s family, and we lament with the psalmist:
Lord, how long will the wicked—how long will the wicked celebrate? Lord, they crush your people; They kill the widow and the resident alien and murder the fatherless. They say, “The Lord doesn’t see it. The God of Jacob doesn’t pay attention” (Ps. 94:3-7).
We trust and believe that the Lord does indeed pay attention. He sees and hears the cries of his people (Ex. 3:7); he is “near the brokenhearted and saves those crushed in spirit” (Ps 34:18). Those wicked enough to leave a twelve year old boy bleeding on the side of the road do not escape the watchful eye of the Lord. He is the Judge of all the earth and he will do what is just (Gen. 18:25). We pray that the authorities would apprehend and bring to justice whoever murdered Derrick Cash.
Derrick’s death is a reminder that rising crime in New Orleans is not merely a matter of statistics but of precious image-bearers losing God-given life. The physical and spiritual condition of teenagers in our city is a crisis, and churches cannot afford to sit on the sidelines. We have the best news in the world. Sin, Satan, and death have met their match in the cross and empty tomb of Jesus. A compassionate urgency should accompany our gospel proclamation to young people, and in an environment where the shadow of death looms large and cold, we should be unashamed of the hope found in Christ.
Outside of the gospel, the community within our churches is the single greatest resource that we offer our youth. Kids and teenagers desperately need affection, affirmation, and accountability, and what better environment for them to experience these than the family of God? Affection communicates “You’re valuable and I love you,” through words, time, and appropriate touch. For many youth, hearing these simple words of affirmation from a respected adult: “I’m proud of you,” can change the course of their lives. Accountability says, “I believe in you enough to hold you to a high standard.” None of these things are complicated, but the practical implementation can often be difficult and costly.
So what can you do? Be hospitable. What better place to display the dynamics of a healthy family than at your dinner table? Go out of your way to build relationships with the single mother who lives down the street. Borrow a cup of sugar. Learn the names of her kids. Be a genuine friend and resource to her.
Be a consistent presence in a transient place. Go to your local school and ask about opportunities to mentor a student (organizations like Son of Saint are well-respected in many charter networks in New Orleans). If you mentor the same student for three to four years, you will have outlasted the majority of the teachers at his or her school. Make an intentional effort to invest in the lives of young people in your church. Get on their level to talk to them and show authentic curiosity in them and their interests.
The sheer size of the task at hand might seem overwhelming, but we cannot allow despair to turn into paralysis. Sow gospel seed in tears and faith, trusting that God will bring forth fruit in due time. Jesus is risen, and our lives of faithful and sustainable sacrifice can impact today and eternity.
With hope in Christ and prayers for his coming,
Andrew Hanna
“Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” - James 1:27
“Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.” - Galatians 6:9
