Mention the western suburbs and certain associations spring to mind: graffiti on public property, drunk driving, hoons, gang bashings, alcohol abuse, poverty, mental illness and last week, the discovery of yet another marijuana factory in a residential home...
We've lived a pretty sheltered life in the 3 years we've been in the area. Until now.
Tonight, hubby came home distraught because someone had smashed the back window of our Holden Commodore, which had been parked at the Hoppers train station "overflow" carpark all day.
Now he's wondering how to patch up the window (and how much it will cost) before the next downpour.
It's the kind of antisocial act you wouldn't imagine happening in Sg. I mean, we lived there for 36 years and only once, when I was quite young, did we have to call in the police because my grandma discovered strange fingerprints on the wall of our balcony (we lived on the second floor of a block of units).
I can imagine some people saying, "Well, you chose to live in the western suburbs. What do you expect?"
I don't think that's fair to the 95% of decent, law-abiding locals who just want to live a peaceful life.
What will it take to transform the minds and hearts of those whose ways are bent to wickedness?
Or is this, as the media likes to put it, a problem caused by a lack of educational and employment opportunities for young people?
We need to return to basics.
"In the beginning, God..."
I think once we lose our fear of a God who is justice, righteousness and holiness, we're on a slippery slope.
I mean, why would you care about living a holy life if you do not know God and love Him?
What do evil, sin and punishment mean except in relation to a God who represents the opposite?
When God is absent, we are free to do whatever we like, as in the days of the Judges, when everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.
We need to understand that there is a God, that He is a God of righteousness and holiness, that He abhors sin, and that there are consequences for making the wrong choices.
We need to understand that we are all sinners doomed to be cut off from God, even those of us who think we have led fairly blameless lives.
And finally, we need to know that there is a Saviour who died for us, even those of us who appear to be beyond redemption, so that we could be made right with God. And this happened while we were yet sinners.
This Saviour continues to speak up for us when we stumble, to walk with us when we cannot see our way, and to model for us how a human fully trusting and obeying God should live.
Without a belief in and an acceptance of these spiritual truths, we cannot hope to break free of the mistakes of the past.
"Vengeance is mine. I will repay", saith the Lord.
"Determine on the noblest ways of dealing with all people."
"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse."
"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
I wonder what I would do if I ever came face to face with someone who does me or my family a grave injustice.
Would I be able to remain obedient to God and trust that He will do what is right and just in His eyes (rather than mine)?
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