The Plight of the Lost

According to the New York Times who interviewed the Department of Homeless Services, the average age across the whole system is 24 years. The average age of a single adult with no family is 45 years of age.

Back in the 60’s and 70’s people in America had no concern over economic stability, then when things began to go bust the media pumped out their doctrine on economic recovery only to lead naïve hard working laborers into one bubble of debt after another. Now, what happens when young people are unable to get a foothold as a “productive member of society”? Is there any hope of self-sufficiency for them? Today, survival without some type of dependency is not something fully understood by an older generation blind to the anxieties, phobias and panic attacks of kids graduating into a world filled with brainwashed people who think you can still prosper under this Nations economy. The reality is that as this nation continues to inflate their recovery statistics, you cannot just go to the employment office and expect to find a slice of the American dream. In fact, if you don’t have someone on the inside, some really solid resources or very comprehensive connections, your chances of landing those jobs are slim to none. That’s not to say how discriminating the screening process is, which does nothing for the esteem of those who have a much less than perfect legal history.

If this sound likes a bleak picture for a growing percentage of displaced families and homeless individuals, then think about how they feel. Often with no place else to turn, their dependency on friends and family strains to the point where misplaced emotions drive behaviors’ toward destructive choices. When these tendencies grow from bad to worst and every inspirational bridge has been burned the future indeed looks hopeless and a person becomes easily lost.

For some cultures the necessity to pool income and resources is a way of life. Yet, for many Americans who have worked hard to secure a means of economic freedom in retirement, continued support for children who lack self-sufficiency may be viewed as an unwanted burden. The shared ramifications of this latter mindset have resulted in a subculture that has become deluded with the obsession of making their way through life on minimum wage. Of course under these circumstances a sense of self worth becomes extremely diminutive and leads to a variety sociological irregularities which may include psychological strains which may prevent basic nurturing of the spirit. The stigmas surrounding this environment oftentimes are the driving force behind substance abuse used as an immediate and accepted means of sedation. The resulting downward spiral reveals itself as a total disregard for the accountability one owes to others, the consequences of one’s actions, and the sanctity of life. This is the plight of todays lost.

In an effort to respond to these issues state funded institutions offer recovery development strategies which neglect a Christian based belief system and maintain a high recidivism rate. Conversely Christian programs with the aim of restoration rarely incorporate transitional assistance or after care that is effective in providing much need spiritual support. However these observations are consistent to group dependency as a social method of striving toward a common good as well as a cooperative system of survival.

Can hope be a lasting response within our relationships?

There is a kind of spiritual imprint that we find in Jesus when we are part of the church body. No matter where we are when we receive Holy Spirit there is this lasting effect that connects us to each other. The sound that’s lingering is of the heartfelt worship of those around us. The excitement of new truths is revealed, we grow together with other disciples and become lifelong friends, such are the things that should be closely cherished as Gods power resounding in us.

If it is that a close, personal and intimate relationship with our LORD and savior Jesus is that which we place above all other ambition, then how is it that this connection can lose its value? We may stop praying as often as we used to or fail to crack the good book. This doesn’t mean these desires aren’t there, it may just mean that time and circumstance is a prevailing competitor. Don’t waste another day give your life to Christ now, tomorrow, and forever. There is always hope in Jesus.