Violence has returned to our streets like a thief in the night. Stealing futures. Breaking families. Wounding our spirit. And while the headlines come and go, the pain remains.

In the quiet. In the homes. In the eyes of our youth, watching, wondering, waiting.

In the hearts of our seniors, grieving a time that once was.

I’ve seen the tears. I’ve felt the sorrow. And I’ve heard the same question echo from every corner of this island: “What can we do?”

And the answer is not just another press conference. It is not just another policy. It is not just more police on our streets.

The answer is all of us. Not just in words, but in action. Not just in frustration, but in taking ownership. Because we are not just bystanders … we are the circle.

We all know the saying: “It takes a village to raise a child.” But too many in our village have gone silent. Too many hearts have gone hard and indifferent.

So today I offer a different approach. An approach based on healing, connecting and protecting. An approach based on rebuilding the ties that hold us together. An approach that embraces the faith that once sustained this entire community.

That means:

• Every adult takes responsibility for the children around them, whether they gave birth to them or not

• Every house of worship, every place of business, sport or community gathering becomes a haven for healing

• Every political commentator, every “keyboard warrior”, every neighbour commits to getting off the sidelines and into the community

Crime and violence is not born. It is bred. It is bred in broken homes. In poverty. In systems that punish but don’t reform. In policies that are enacted without ensuring mandates are fulfilled. In silence.

We break that cycle by strengthening the circle. Mentor a child. Feed a family. Speak encouraging words. Keep an eye out for your neighbour’s children. Support helping agencies and charity drives.

Because the truth is, we cannot police, social media or voice note pain away. We must love it away. We must heal it away. We must circle around our people so tightly that no bullet, no gang, no system can break through.

So I say to Bermuda, don’t wait for someone else. Be the elder. Be the bridge. Be the circle. Our ancestors endured worse and built better. So can we.

• The Reverend Emily Gail Dill is a government backbencher and the MP for Sandys North (Constituency 36)