Editor:
Thank you for Grant Scott-Goforth's article "Water's for Fighting;" he helped me understand the whole California water issue better; I especially appreciated the map.
But I wanted to take an issue on Ryan Burns' blog ("Blog Jammin'," Sept. 19) about the Arkley-homeless event, in his bringing Jesus into it ("... bearded hippie with a soft spot for mooching layabouts.")
The conventional understanding about Him is way off.
Yes, Jesus is love, and he did feed and heal people, and was himself homeless. But he definitely was not a burden on society. He knew what his purpose was in the world, and He was busy at it most of the time. His purpose was not to "make the world a better place," or else he would have spent all of his time attempting to heal and feed every single person on the planet (something he probably could have pulled off), but he was murdered because his real purpose was to turn the religious establishment upside down, and challenge people to get right with God, which included looking at your sins and faults. The only business people that Jesus ever interfered with were the money changers at the temple, since they were defiling it; but I'm sure his lifestyle never imposed on any person or business — not because he could make bread out of stones, but because he truly did care, and lived by the golden rule. This is where the issue with the homeless, I think, becomes complicated.
One can have compassion on them for their neediness, but we continue to ignore or deny how they behave toward society. If we're feeding them, we should also help them, like the Eureka Rescue Mission does, to be healed and enabled to fulfill the purpose for which they were brought into the world by their Heavenly Father.
Jean Damon, McKinleyville
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