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Community Living

We don not live isolated lives in the world. “No man liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself” (Romans 14:7). Our lives are interwoven with others. As the population explodes we understand that what one person does has an impact on others. As a general rule, when one person gets the flu, usually many people get it. We are all aware of the fact that epidemics take their toll on our communities.

When one person ignores the rules of community living, and his behavior becomes out of order then usually innocent bystanders are hurt.

In 1966 a young man climbed to the top of the tower on the University of Texas’ campus. If my readers remember this incident; then they will recall that the young man’s name was Charles Whitman, and that he pulled out a gun and began shooting at students in all directions. Then the young man shot himself. He not only hurt himself with a gun, but he also hurt twenty-one other people. Charles Whitman was in a community of people and his behavior that day hurt many innocent people.

In community living, and that is what we are doing in Red Boiling Springs, Lafayette, Westmoreland, Portland or wherever it may be, tragedies may result if people in that community are not responsible and considerate of each other. Alcohol and drugs have harmed many people. Countless people have been injured or killed by people who were under the influence of alcohol or drugs. It is enough to make us mad, when the actions of others injure or kill innocent people.

Sometimes elected officials make decisions that hurt the people of a community. This is especially true in small towns where some of the city officials make their decisions based upon their cliques, money under the table, or just plain fooled in ignorance.

Some are good at copycatting. Voting for any motion that is made. To have a thought of their own is a sin.

Most of us want our communities to be pleasant and inviting to others. We want our schools and churches to be characterized by quality. We want to live and let live. Unfortunately, we have in some communities those whose ability to read, on a scale from 1 to 10, would be no higher than 1 or 2.

You may find that some of them have no business experience, very little education, and could care less what happens to their community. But whose fault is this? It is our for not encouraging and choosing men and women who are capable of leading the rest of the community to accept position of leadership. The greatest tragedy is when some city officials are so ignorant that they don’t know any better. And how do we deal with that? We say, “They do the best they know how.” Would you take your spouse or child to a quack doctor? Then after that loved one died, say, “Well, he did the best he knew how.”

We are engaged in community living and what ignorant and incept city officials do affects all of us.