Riots in the Paris region

Today we received 3 e-mails from people in Kansas, Wisconsin, and Illinois asking if we were ok despite the riots taking place in Paris. I was surprised to be asked this. I'm assuming that this story must be getting some type of national news coverage in the U.S.

What I remember hearing on our French TV news is that 2 teenage boys of non-French ethnic origins died from electrocution after being chased by the police in Clichy-sous-Bois, a suburb northeast of Paris. They fled onto a site that is part of the national French electronic company's property and touching an electrical transformer.

Since then, there have been lots of cars burned not just in this suburb, but in other ones as well. This incident has triggered the frustration of others who feel outside of the system. Two higher ups in the French government canceled international trips in order to stay here and try to calm the situation.

For a more "official" news story on the timeline of events surrounding this situation, click here. I suspect that this story is perhaps more accurate than what might be shown on the TV news on the main stations here.

We have been out of harm's way so far and our car hasn't been burned. One practice here seems to be to keep Paris nice and safe (in general) and to push out the "undesirables" (at least, to someone) out to the suburbs. This is different that what had been the practice the nice, safe suburbs of the U.S. Our car is in an underground parking lot below our building that is hard to get into for those who shouldn't be in it. Last year, our building set up a system of electronic keys to get inside after several robberies. One of our neighbors described is as a "fortress." It is difficult to get into now, which gives more of a feeling of security. However, I still avoid having my wife or kids go to the basement by themselves. And I realize that it is God and His angels who are our protectors and not our building's security system.

Anyway, these riots underline a deeper problems of the lack of assimilation into the system of some immigrants in France, unemployment, and a volatile generation of young people. Several news stories around the riots suggest that it is voluntary associations in these problem areas that have the most chance of changing things through providing activities and training for young people. Voila the Church!

This is another reason why I'm committed to youth ministry here. If Alpha Lounge and Mission Radicale can positively impact some young people, then not only does this touch them spiritually, but also touch the culture and where they live.