Whose Job Is It? by Jeremy L. Williams
A question rings in our dysfunctional society, which witnesses broken schools, disproportionate incarceration rates, political indecision, and troubled families. With so many pieces malfunctioning and apparently going haywire, it is quite reasonable that one might ask who it is that is in charge of solving these problems.
When communities are being destroyed by drugs, ravished by gun violence, and generationally impoverished,
fingers point at everyone. They point at the government that should intervene and right these social ills. They point at the boards of education and fault them for their poor oversight. They point at those community members whom it is easy to point out as lazy, and then through generalization condemn the entire community.
As a young boy, I learned that whenever I point a finger at someone else, there are three pointing back at me. Though as individuals we cannot single-handedly topple systems of oppression and marginalization, we can be engaged in the work of transforming our small corners of the world. The God-given work that we are to do takes the skills and abilities that we already have and puts them to work in the lives of others. We don’t have to wait to receive special training or hold off until a time when we are older. Now is the time
to drain our education, network, and resources into making this world safe enough for which we feel comfortable leaving our children and grandchildren to live.
I have a friend who is in the Teach for America Corps. One thing that he noted was that the children that he teaches need more than good educational instruction. What they are really lacking is support structures that enforce and encourage a standard of excellence, academically and otherwise. So, there is work for you to do in the areas of mentoring, encouraging, donating, tutoring, inspiring.
It is not acceptable to look for someone else to do your job. Frequently, people complain about the serious state of the affairs of the world, and that’s where they stop. In my book, Can I Have This Dance?: Finding Peace in the Tune of the Divine, I note that only people who have no agency complain. Complaining is an act of powerlessness.
Therefore, it is extremely important to be empowered and make your contribution to the positive development of the world. It is irrelevant to ask the question, “Whose job is?” Better yet, it is a rhetorical question. Because the answer is the parent, the pastor, the professional, the student, the tradesman, the officer, the politician, the citizens, the community members, the readers of this blog post.
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