In the Ghetto

As the snow flies
On a cold and gray Chicago mornin’
A poor little baby child is born
In the ghetto

And his mama cries
‘Cause if there’s one thing that she don’t need
It is another hungry mouth to feed
In the ghetto

People, don’t you understand
The child needs a helping hand
Or he’ll grow to be an angry young man someday
Take a look at you and me
Are we too blind to see?
Do we simply turn our heads
And look the other way

Well, the world turns
And a hungry little boy with a runny nose
Plays in the street as the cold wind blows
In the ghetto

And his hunger burns
So he starts to roam the streets at night
And he learns how to steal
And he learns how to fight
In the ghetto

Then one night in desperation
The young man breaks away
He buys a gun, steals a car
Tries to run, but he don’t get far
And his mama cries

As a crowd gathers ’round an angry young man
Face down on the street with a gun in his hand
In the ghetto

And as her young man dies
On a cold and gray Chicago mornin’
Another little baby child is born
In the ghetto

And his mama cries.

In the ghetto is a story about poverty and crime, set in Chicago. It could be any city or town; it could be Lowestoft.

In the ghetto? I don’t live there so I can ignore it, avoid it. I have a comfortable life. I have enough problems of my own… As Elvis says ‘We simply turn our heads and look the other way’

In the ghetto? Someone ought to do something about it. Those in the ghetto should sort themselves out… the police, the politicians, the social services should solve the problem. Our minister, Lou, said: ‘The question isn’t: ‘Who is to blame for our problems in society?’ the question is ‘Where is the church providing salt and light?’

In the ghetto? It’s an uncomfortable but real picture of the continuing cycle of poverty and crime. The death of one angry young man is followed by the birth of another baby and the tears of another mother.

In the ghetto? It’s where Jesus came, bringing good news to the poor, binding up the broken hearted, setting free the captives… not standing outside the ghetto, but being part of it.

In the ghetto is about one baby, one weeping mother, one desperate young man… I ask myself whether I truly believe the call of Jesus enough to join them in their ghetto, bringing good news, binding broken hearts, bringing salt and light.