I had a lady from another church in the community stop by and visit me today to engage me in conversation about preserving the South St. Louis county community. She's an advocate for a justice league for change, spearheaded by various churches. For instance, last year they were successful in orchestrating a new ordinance against graffitti, because graffitti leads to sex, drugs, and gangs (her words) and not the environment desired for our community. So now when they see any graffitti, they simply call a number and someone from the county goes out the next day and paints over it. Well, at least that grafitti is gone and someone in the county has a pretty secure job. Because unless I'm way off the mark, there'll be more graffitti tomorrow!
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not for grafitti; and the community does need to keep up appearances, but will county ordinances get the job done? When I was raising my 3 boys, I could get them to behave correctly - well most of the time! But correct behavior wasn't the end goal. Correct behavior from the right heart was. I truly believe, you want to stop the graffitti, change the heart. Maybe what would be better than an ordinance would be a youth center, several youth centers, sponsored by the churches and the county. (Then we'd be creating several jobs) Places to hang out, make relationships, experience unconditional love, be accepted, just as you are; but encouraged not to stay that way.
In a 'nut shell', what I'm trying to say is that Jesus came 2000 years ago to let us know that 'laws' and dressing up the outside, won't get it done! Only a change of heart will make a life change, that will last a lifetime! That endeavor is worth spending my life on!
PJ
1 comment:
Again, I agree with your thoughts. It is always amazing to me how as a people we can look at the same thing completely differnt. And yet both you and this lady want to do the best you can in the world you live in. Kuddos to both of you.
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