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Permalink Reply by Laura Scattergood on 3rd mo. 24, 2014 at 6:09pm

Hi Forrest, I wasn't assuming she was mentally ill.  I was just going over the possibilities in my mind what could  be going on, you said she was physically ill.  I meet people on the streets all the time with different situations.  Anyway, I don't live or work there where this particular woman is and I know there are obstacles, when working in California I had a really hard time getting people help.  And yeah,  dying free is an option, that was what I was saying, I am not assuming that is mental illness   In Montana,  the  sheriff's deputy even offers to go out and feed your dog if  you have caused a ruckus and are going to be spending some time in the hospital. Anyway I know you aren't talking about particulars, you are talking about this as being a symptom, not the various band aid solutions.  In my view, I try to work to respond on every level when I can.  I was totally interested in the whole issue of the homeless property sweeps and I wrote a paper about it at some point.  In Portland, OR there was a successful resistance movement against that.  I won't go in to what the people did collectively to help themselves.  I am afraid someone will shoot down the hopes I have in continuing to not tire of doing good.  Anyone who knows me well, knows I am not entirely a good person, and I don't care if I am good or not actually.   I doubt my soul will survive my bodily death, when I am gone whether I successfully impersonated a good person or not won't matter, what matters is doing things that are compassionate when I can because that is what I believe is obedience to God and the call of following Jesus.

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Permalink Reply by Forrest Curo on 3rd mo. 24, 2014 at 6:32pm

Yeah, Portland sounded like a relatively humane place. Here, it's been a court case every time, even though the City always loses them so far, the Constitutional issue being clear enough.

The social & institutional forces that maintain and reinforce our systemic evils are so ubiquitous and so 'taken for granted' that I don't put much faith in any 'strategy' for fixing matters.

But that metastrategy: 'Trust God and do whatever good you're led to do' -- is the only hope I can see for us collectively pulling out of this mess.

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Permalink Reply by Laura Scattergood on 3rd mo. 24, 2014 at 6:35pm

Yep that's Right, Trust God and do whatever good you're led to do.    And if you write down the name on that sign up sheet, God pretty much does tend to lead you to do things. 

I get my joy from that, from those small assignments in my work basket.  Otherwise I don't know if life would be bearable.

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