My daughter Gretchen and I were in Phoenix over the weekend. My goodness, so many homeless folks sleeping on the sidewalks, even children in downtown Phoenix. The downtown area so so very filthy. Broke our hearts. Here in Albuquerque homelessness is also a huge problem. (The picture at the very top is from Albuquerque and the other is of a man sleeping in Mariposa Park on the west side of ABQ.) Meanwhile, the Albuquerque Police announced more officers are being deployed to downtown. The City Council is debating sanctioned encampments for the homeless. The number of homeless in the U.S. is estimated at 552,830. Jesus wept. John 11:35
City Councilor Brook Bassan to repeal legislation she once supported on sanctioned encampments
My friend Linda Dodd, a former New Mexico resident who now lives in Colorado, has this to share:
This is absolutely heartbreaking. my son lives in ABQ and tells me there are so many homeless, there are homeless ‘camps’ even in what used to be ‘nice’ neighborhoods, and many more mentally ill people, people on drugs… he tells me he hears screaming every single night. and is now recognizing faces of those wandering the streets, high on whatever it is now readily available to get wasted on… sometimes (ok often) i get so heavily burdened by man’s lack of empathy, the cruelties to children, animals, and the aged who are left… like this… vets, someone’s dad… i just cannot handle it. this world has so much pain and sorrow in it. the Word tells us to ‘think on THESE things’ but i am tellin ya, it gets harder and harder and harder to focus.
Thank you for sharing Linda!
I do not believe the government, both federal and state have no solution. It seems to me it is grass root ministries and shelters that making an impact. The government throws money at anything that moves! From Dr. Jim Denison: Only 2 percent of Americans trust the federal government to do what is right “just about always.” Another 19 percent trust the government “most of the time.” In 1958, by contrast, about three-quarters of Americans trusted the federal government to do the right thing almost always or most of the time. Sadly this problem is overwhelming. What can we do church?
Hundreds of homeless die in extreme heat
Understanding America’s homelessness crisis
Homelessness Is Vexing American Cities. Do Christians Have a Solution?
