Sins of Sodom
by James Smullins
Title
Sins of Sodom
Artist
James Smullins
Medium
Digital Art - Digital Art
Description
The sins of Sodom are most often thought to be of a sexual nature and more specifically homosexual behavior. But the truth is is what people think was the sin that cause Sodom and Gomorrah to be destroyed was at the bottom of the list.Greed,laziness, arrogance and pride. And joined with those was allowing poor and needy to suffer st the same time without aid.
How many times have you walked past a homeless person and not even looked at them for fear they might ask you for money so they can eat? Watched a person in the store count out pennies to pay for groceries because they are barely getting by? These are the types of sins that got Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed.
We all see this type of thing everyday be it a neighbor down the street struggling or a person living on the street and we all tend to assume they are in that position because of some bad life choice like drugs and alcohol or just lazy and while sometimes that is true it is more often than not not the real cause of their situation. For homeless often it's some form of mental illness that medication could control making them productive but no access to it, maybe they lost their job and things hit bottom before they could get a job that filled their needs. Or maybe it's like what happened to me in fall of 2013 and my truck died and I couldn't get it replaced with what I had saved up.
That caused a rapid spiral down that caused me to lose everything. No way to work (construction) which led to me losing my apartment. Sold my tools to pay for a hotel room and put what I could in storage thinking it was all temporary. but it turned out it wasn't. with no income the hotel was short lived and I couldn't pay the next storage bill and lost everything including the only photos of my children and other personal belongings that were important.
Everything was gone and I was now homeless in Oklahoma with winter setting in. Only choice was get on my bicycle with what I could carry and head south or freeze to death. That was a nightmare in itself as the winds blew 30+ mph in my face and I had to walk the bike making less then 10 miles a day. Pitching my tent on the side of I-35 freezing and having people trow beer bottles and other things at me because now I am suddenly no longer seen as human in most peoples eyes.
after several days of that I did get a couple rides bike and all to central Texas where it was a very cold and wet winter. Teens at night and below freezing all day.I ended up where I live now stuck both tires flat and couldn't get a ride out at all. Camped three miles out of town and walked in the freezing rain everyday to the point I walked right through the soles of my shoes. Most people just drove right on by refusing to even look, but not all. One gentleman noticed me everyday and started giving me a ride in. We talked about what happened and what I needed. What I needed was a place closer to town for the tent and work. And because a few people didn't look away I found both. Odd jobs at first, I would dig a ditch one day clear brush the next and many days no work. Get bread and peanut butter to live on and sometimes splurge and get Ramen noodles that I could cook in a peanut butter jar on the fire I kept well hidden, remember to most people I am still considered the bottom of the status scale and treated as such.
I eventually ended up at a non profit coffee shop where I could get hot coffee and warm up and meet people which led to even more odd jobs. I would volunteer at the coffee shop and still do today three years later. Then came a preacher and his wife who talked to me about staying at their church. They did a background check because of the children their which was smart on their part and when that cleared they got me set up. At the same time I had started helping a local business owner who said if I come every morning and stack the small amount of firewood by his pizza oven and pick up trash he would give me $10 a day. took me less than twenty minutes to do so it was a great deal. He also gave me free pizzas when ever I wanted. I only a couple of times took the money as food was what I needed and he saw to that as did the coffee shop and another church in town. I now work full time for him and he's not just my employer but family.
Another man whom I had met only once before came to me at work and gave me his fathers truck. Between the church that took me in the full time job and now the truck I was able to save enough money to get my own place and now in a relationship with a amazing woman who believes as me in helping people. We now host a thanksgiving and Christmas day meal and party at the coffee shop three years running that's meant to be a place for all walks of life to come hang out warm up and have a great time with live bands playing. We serve a community meal once a month and other groups do the rest of the month at that same coffee shop.
This was a bit of a long story and lots of details left out as to how hard it was but the point is clear, people doing what they should be doing took me from the bottom back to the top. People that have forever earned my respect and know they can call on me anytime for any reason and some have.
Before you look away to avoid eye contact, before you prejudge stop and think that just maybe all that's needed is a helping hand to get that person back up on their feet. You won't know what their needs are until you ask and you can't ask if you won't even look at them. Don't be like Sodom and Gomorrah. Show compassion because if we all did that the world would be a better place one person at a time.
And for those wondering about the coffee shop it's called Fuel coffee house in Llano Texas a 501c3 listed as Fuel way station.
Uploaded
January 7th, 2018
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