Assignment task:
In 2020, one of our local political figures (he was our mayor, at the time) was targeted for a smear campaign by another community leader, when his son was arrested on drug charges. The charges amounted to nothing. By that I mean there was no evidence, no witnesses, nothing indicating his son was involved in any of these activities, and instead of the media reporting about the arrestee, the reports focused on his father. One not paying attention and only reading headlines could easily assume it was the father who was arrested on those charges. Those of us who knew all parties involved (he has been a close friend of our family for 50 years), recognized it as a clear attempt to destroy a good man's character.
Around the same time, the county was awarded $500,000 in appropriations for reentry services. The agency that would be providing the services was looking for a building, centrally located, where they could assist our returning citizens. The mayor whose son had been arrested had offered them a building in his city and someone from the organization came to me and asked if they might be better going with another city due to the negative publicity surrounding "this" city. Ironically, we had just left the government center after attending a Reentry Task Force Committee meeting.
Now, I truly despise what child sexual predators do to children, but I am committed to he efforts of creating affordable housing for everyone. Without safe, affordable housing, there is no opportunity for rehabilitation. I reminded her that the grandchild I am raising has a biological father who is serving five life sentences plus 230 years in prison for crimes related to child sexual abuse. I told her sometimes you find your best advocates in the most unlikely places. While it is unlikely Conner's biological father will ever see the outside of prison walls again, if he should, I am literally his advocate for safe affordable housing. Faced with the challenge of fighting for his son's innocence, my friend could very well become one of their strongest advocates for reentry services. Our selfish human nature sees the evil in people, but the love of God in us allows us to see past the sin, to the person God sees and loves.
God can be found in some unlikely places, too. Kings are synonymous with wealth and stature, and yet the wise men found the King of all creation lying in a manger (King James Version, n.d.-a, Luke 2:7) in a stable surrounded by stinky animals and filth. Mary Magdalene saw Jesus after expecting Him to be sealed in a tomb (King James Version, n.d.-b, Mark 16:9). He appeared to two disciples on a country road (King James Version, n.d.-c, Mark 16:12) and again the same evening at the dinner table to all eleven disciples, who believed Him to be dead (King James Version, n.d.-d, Mark 16:14). If this happened today, I imagine the reactions would be the same - disbelief and doubt. If someone I knew to be dead and buried for THREE DAYS appeared at my dinner table, I'd seriously question my sanity.
If you would, place yourself outside your comfort zone for a moment and think about the ways in which you could influence positive changes in the lives of others who might not expect assistance from you. These are ways we can show the love of God to others. Please feel free to share the ways you might help others who might be surprised to receive it from you. In what ways will you shock your community with positive change?
As a note, they did go with the building the mayor suggested and were granted appropriations again in 2021. Many of our returning citizens have been helped with services, to include affordable housing, as they successfully reintegrate into the community, significantly decreasing the likelihood of recidivism. He was an advocate for our returning citizens up until he passed away, suddenly and unexpectedly. The positive changes he affected in our community will live on through his policies for many years.
Please provide sources if any used.