I arrived in Portland Oregon late yesterday evening. It is beautiful country and to a person everyone with whom I have spoken has been as nice as they can possibly be. This is quite the contrast between the people in the airport at Jackson MS and Atlanta GA. They were sullen and seemed angry at the world and several stared at us like they hated us.
My wife and I were talking about the news coverage in Portland, and how we initially dreaded coming to what has been publicized as a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah. To be sure those elected to the legislature and other high offices are whackos for the most part and have increased the drug epidemic and homeless population exponentially by giving away free needles and legalizing even hard drugs. According to news reports they have embraced abortion, refused to arrest criminals, legalized euthanasia, jumped on the “trans” bandwagon and are trying to brainwash kids with the WOKE agenda and at least the downtown area seems to be in full a state of anarchy,
I have not gone downtown and seen all of that and intend to avoid it. We are staying outside the city in a hotel situated in farming country which makes me feel right at home. The people I’ve met mostly look fit from hiking and the other outdoor activities that this beautiful state offers, they have smiled and greeted us with true warmth everywhere we have gone. This brings me to the point of not judging a book by looking at the cover or worse listening to some media clowns trying to increase circulations and clicks by sensationalizing the many problems found in most major cities. We are led to believe the entire state is a war zone and it is not. The same is true for Israel. I heard that it was too dangerous to visit Israel and especially Jerusalem. I ignored it and found it to be very safe. I have visited countries all over the world and don’t know of anywhere I would prefer to visit than that country. I love that place.
God once opened the eyes of the prophet Elijah and his helper to see the great horde that stood with him and God. Just when he thought everyone “had bent the knee to Baal”. God allowed him to see that he wasn’t alone and believers and righteous people were right there with him during those evil times. He just didn’t look around and open his eyes to see them. It is my contention that God has not changed and neither have His people. There have always been evil people in the world and unquestionably the world is headed in the wrong direction in these days, and it appears as though darkness is prevailing, but make no mistake, God has His remnant and we should be encouraged and very reluctant to judge others who happen to live in one of these supposedly bastions of darkness, especially because they appeared in the news in a negative light.
This same premise holds true right at home. We hear something about so and so or see someone who doesn’t look like us and immediately shun them without ever having even spoken to them. God wanted us to love all our neighbors, not just the elite and those identical to ourselves.
I was homeless for a number of years and met some folks that were exceedingly smart and gifted right there in the gutters of those cesspools. Many had been well educated. Why were they homeless? The reasons were many, abused childhood, lost the love of their life or that great job, addictions, death of a special person, devastating divorce. There are many reasons for folks to give up on life. Through all those years of living on the streets I never met anyone who grew up with that lifestyle as their ambition and for that matter I’ve never met anyone who wanted to be an alcoholic or drug addict.
I pray for the homeless, addicted, those who have fallen on hard times or were born poor with no way out, and those far from the Lord every day of my life. I hate sin as much as anyone, but I try my utmost to have compassion and not judgment. I see myself over fifty years ago struggling to stay alive. What if I had died without the Lord. We need to reach those whom we can before it is too late.
Matthew 11:28
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Have a great weekend and go to church this Sunday!