Justice

Job 5:16 So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth.

Last weekend, our local newspaper presented a highly informative article about the homeless in our town. It was well researched and reported. It pulled no punches about the hopelessness of itinerant travelers in our city. People on the streets, managers in the relief agencies, and even local politicians gave their opinions about how to reduce and remedy the situation. Hopefully, over the next ten years everyone involved will work together to diminish homelessness in our town.

One of the saddest facts about being homeless was the number of drug addicts who walk our streets during the day and who sleep outside at night. About 55% of Knoxville homeless people have drug addictions and most of them have come from High School graduation backgrounds. The old adage of a wasted mind is a wasted life appears to be true. Something happens to young kids when they are on their way to doing something better with their lives: they become addicted to substances and they lose everything. It’s criminal that young educated lives are wasted on drugs. They become old and weary before their time, and there doesn’t seem to be anything that can save them from the misery of homelessness ahead of them.

The article was enlightening, but I then today I picked up the newspaper only to read about well-educated and highly–esteemed citizens in our city who have written letters of commendation on behalf of a local drug baron, whose family used their ill-gotten gains to revitalize downtown Knoxville. Erstwhile citizens, who should know better and who should be ashamed of themselves, are trying to have this drug baron and his family get a fair deal in the courts because of the rebirth of our downtown. It’s unbelievable.

There are adults and young people on our streets whose lives have been ruined by this drug baron, whose families are frantically trying to save their sons and daughters, and whose friends weep bitter tears. Yet the sophisticated elite, who probably wouldn’t stop to give the homeless a cent, nickel or dime, want to advocate on behalf of reprehensible people who built their reputations upon the broken lives and addicted hopelessness of others.

The poor in our city need a voice; and, as the scripture says, those who are unjust should shut their mouths.

Prayer: Lord God, we seek justice for those who lives have been wasted by drug-pushers and drug barons in our city. We ask that You tear down the walls of elitism, cultural respectability and decadence that protect these killers of souls and destroyers of families. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.