Sad, scary shit happens in this world.

No matter how you put it, no matter how you frame it, you cannot ignore this reality. News around the world piece together a peaceless existence, and it seems evermore frequent that we hear of heartbreaking stories.

I’d like to spend a moment to reflect on one particular child from Chicago.

On March 11, Jonylah Watkins was shot multiple times while with her father. Reports say the shooting was result of gang violence, and that the shooters were in fact targeting the father, Jonathan Watkins, who was also shot but survived the event. Both were immediately rushed to the hospital, but Jonylah died the next morning.

She was six months old.

Seven days later, a funeral was held for her at the New Beginnings Church. Chicago’s response was one of mourning and disbelief, as hundreds attended the service.

  Sad. Inhumane. Despicable. These are just a couple of words some may attribute to the shooting. But I found myself thinking one other word: expected.

It’s a painful thought. When I first heard about Jonylah’s death, I felt that sadness, the disbelief that something of this nature would ever take place. But there was a part of me that wasn’t fazed by it. It wasn’t that the shooting was “okay,” or even “normal,” but it was because I’ve heard of so many terrible events in my life, that horrible acts such as these no longer surprise me. It’s all expected.

Jonylah’s life was unique, her death was heartbreaking. But in this world of sin and ever growing violence, Jonylah’s story becomes just another tale that will ultimately pass. I think that is the saddest part. The most inhumane and despicable.

A few days following the shooting, Chicago’s rapper Lupe Fiasco posted a song online titled “Jonylah Forever.”

Lupe paints a beautiful picture of Jonylah surviving the bullet wounds and growing up to be a successful doctor who has moved beyond the streets of Chicago. However, her passion in the field leads her back to work in the inner city. The song ends with shots outside her clinic, and Jonylah rushing out to find a man with a bleeding baby in his arms. The final lyrics:

And in that moment, where you gave your help, I bet you didn’t know that you saved yourself.

 Events like Jonylah’s shooting forces me to look at this bigger picture we all live in. It forces me to weave every death, every story together into this collage of reality. And I think Lupe’s song captures this beautifully. What if the violence and survival of a baby girl’s infanthood ultimately led to a brilliant woman who served a world of desperation? What if the crimes committed could somehow exponentially sprout into even more stories of life and of joy? Maybe it is wishful thinking. None but God can answer those questions.

But even in the wake of unanswered questions, I see a sharp contrast within this Chicago story. I see the evil, violent acts that are personified through gang violence, but I also see the heroes within the city who reject this vicious cycle, this sad “destiny” that so many believe as “expected.”

Chicago Bulls’ point guard Derrick Rose, in response to Jonylah’s death, stepped out to pay for her funeral in full. As some of you may know, Rose is my favorite NBA player.  Yes, his performance as an elite point guard is beyond exciting, but it’s his humility and love for his family and his hometown of Chicago that proves respectable. Similarly, Chicago’s Lupe Fiasco is my favorite rap artist, and his song ultimately spreads Jonylah’s story, presenting a picture of life in a tragic event of death. Both Chicago-natives' stepping up to their role reaffirms my own perception of them, as I continue to see consistency in their genuine intentions, often a rare sight among those who have achieved "celebrity status."

I’m not trying to fluff up the doings of these two individuals. I’m not trying to turn the shooting into some “light of hope.” But it’s that collage of reality, the painfully weaved image of our world that causes me to appreciate and respect these, and the countless heroes that exist in Chicago.

Sure, a multi-millionaire NBA star could chip in a few bucks, and a famous rapper can come up with a touching song. But let’s look beyond these two entertainers. I see a city that is disgusted with its own crime. I see a city that mourns over the death of its own children, including Jonylah Watkins.

I see cities across the world with heroes willing to fight against their “fated destiny,” to fight the expectations that are so swiftly held against them. Lupe Fiasco and Derrick Rose are merely voices among these heroes.

My neighbors of Chicago, have you lost your voice? How can you just stand back and let our future take its course? Our youth is in danger on the streets of this town, with the false code of silence while they shoot each other down. My neighbors of Chicago, take back your home

verse 3 = goosebumps

Lupe Fiasco-Jonylah Forever