Missing is missing and all missing children are in danger. All incidents of missing children are matters of life and death. When a child goes missing, we must advocate that teams and resources be mobilized to find them and bring home safely; we must advocate with the understanding that in any given incident the consequences of not searching could be dire.

It is well understood that technology has advanced, ever and onward, beyond our understanding and preparedness. But, do you know all the places where your child could have conversations with strangers? While an initial reaction may be to attempt to restrict and forbid engagement in such arenas, complete avoidance may not be entirely possible; the genie, so to speak, has already been released from the lamp. And, yet, there are an estimated 500,000 predators online every day specifically targeting and soliciting children.

How we vote matters and our vote results in tangible consequences; but, most importantly, if we want to make a difference, if we want to prevent further traumas, we must make action and prevention our responsibility. We cannot delegate responsibility to municipalities and so find ourselves in dereliction of Christian duty.

Safety begins with basic awareness. And, as basic as it may sound, this simple truth was the key factor that thwarted the efforts of an attempted kidnapping targeting two women. Therefore, it should be said again: safety begins with basic awareness. While this may sound like an all too simple bit of advice, it is the most often overlooked safety precaution.

When a child goes missing, time is of the essence. Every minute is vital. Every time a child goes missing it must be assumed they are in imminent danger. Don’t wait! Immediate contact local law enforcement and fiercely advocate for their help. Gather your community, provide photos and information, and lead the search.

Children need to know that they have permission to keep themselves safe. We want them to be quick to charitable service, gentle in disposition, obedient to authority; but, they also need to know that they have our explicit permission to literally run away from threats, to say “no” and create boundaries and barriers when their instincts tell them they are in danger, and to fight with relentless and violent intensity when required.