We have got to do something about our kids in this city. Our police chief often meets with many of our area pastors in trying to find a way to help these kids to change their lives. I suppose that some do but not enough.

Guess what. One cold day last December, right here in Niagara Falls, I saw droves of kids hanging around the Conference Center downtown and they were looking up and shouting. And it was loud. There were thousands of them, of all races, and there was the potential for something big to break out. And just as I thought it would, something big did break out.

As big as the crowds were, I didn’t see one police car in the area. And even though I had my cell phone on me, I didn’t bother to call the cops either. Why should I? It was miraculous that really trouble didn’t start. It was a miracle that those kids were there in the first place. In fact, these thousands of kids were there looking for a miracle. Many of them found their miracle right here in Niagara Falls.

And guess what, they are coming back again this year. And in all likelihood Chief Chella won’t be sending down any extra patrols to the area, except for traffic control. Because these are good kids. They are from all over America. The miracle that they seek will change their lives. In many cases, it already has. They are coming to Niagara Falls, not for a “rock” concert, or anything like that. They are coming to build their faith on “The Rock.” They are coming for the annual Joshua Revolution, an event geared towards junior and senior high school students that will take place at the Niagara Convention and Conference Center across from the Seneca Niagara Casino.

While Chella won’t be sending down extra patrols to maintain the peace, the question is: “Who will our local churches be sending to help alleviate the problems that their young congregants face?” Mike Chorey, the director of Joshua Revolution would like them to send their kids. I would like that too.

I attended last year’s event and believe me, I was touched. There were hundreds of kids making a commitment to give control of their lives over to God. How could that be bad? Chorey said at the scholarship fundraising dinner on Tuesday, that for many of these kids, wherever they live, when they think of the Niagara Conference Center, they will think, “That’s where I gave my life to the Lord.” I believe him. Whenever I drive to Lockport to a legislative meeting or to the Board of Elections and I pass the old Harrison Radiator Plant (now-Delphi), before I think of all of the good times working there, I think like the kids think — “It was there.” 

Our youth literally go through hell today. Daniel Clark, a young man from Buffalo, is very much involved in youth at his church. He sees the event as an effective way of actually pulling kids his age, and younger, out of that hell on Earth, and the hell to follow.

Veronica Pinero is a ninth-grader who said that she lived in hell with a father that did not give her mother or her the love that both of them deserved. But because of her association with Joshua Revolution, she was able to forgive her father for his faithlessness. Because of her forgiving her father, her mother’s life began to change, and in so doing, the father returned home and is rebuilding the life of his family in love. What was that scripture about them being led by a child, again?

Arlene Gomex, a Salvadoran now living in Cambridge, Ontario, the home of Lion Country Safari, received her miracle in Niagara Falls and became a lion to her friends, who also began to change their lives. She is anxious to return this year.

Each of the kids spoke of how when they helped themselves, they were able to turn around and help someone else. Joseph Silluzio said that his father was an abusive alcoholic who one Christmas Eve came home in a drunken rage and ripped the decorations from the wall telling him that there was no Santa Claus after screaming for his mother to fix his dinner. Many of you know what it is like to grow up in a household like that. Many don’t know because they have no father figure at all. When Joseph came to Niagara Falls’ Joshua Revolution, he said that all that he was looking for was a father figure. He said that we all have some knowledge of God in our heads but not always in our hearts. In Niagara Falls, his head knowledge slipped into his heart and he found the father figure for which he was looking in the Father of us all.

We have too much violence on the streets of Niagara Falls, and it is rising. There are such fine groups as Niagara Rising that are working hard to get “our kids” to come back home. Fortunately, Joshua Revolution in Niagara Falls is also rising. Now, it just needs to rise with kids from the Falls. The kids from our neighborhoods. The kids from our churches. Catholic, Baptist or whatever.

Pastors, priests and the like. Your kids need to be there. If not, then just leave Chief Chella alone and tell him that you are happy bailing your kids out of his jail.

Call 285-0575 or visit www.joshuarevolution.org for more information.

Ken Hamilton is a Niagara Falls resident. Contact him at kenhamilton930@aol.com.