This is a recent photo from the streets of Spokane Washington.  

What a nightmare! We watch our country, ravaged by drugs and alcohol, descend and implode. What can be done? 

I often hear Christians say, "You can't help people in addiction until they are ready to help themselves." Or, "You are wasting your time until they want to stop." 

But Jesus didn't take that approach, rather, He said, 

 "You have heard others say, be patient, we have four more months to wait before the crops are ready for harvest. But I say, take a closer look and you will see that the fields are ripe and ready for the harvest."

For a Christian to sit and watch the gates of hell pour into our streets and say, 'Be patient, we can do nothing, it's too early, the harvest isn't attainable yet.' That contradicts every thing Jesus did and the Apostles after him, that went to barbaric countries, tribes and cultures where even greater evils than we face, dominated. 

We can all pray, and some of us can spark hope that change can happen by simple acts of kindness. Another may help spark hope by sitting with them and praying for them; another may share a timely word from scripture; another may help strengthen their resolve; and other guide and teach the way to overcome; another to help point out triggers to prevent relapse; another to support inner city missions. 

We can all do something, but to do nothing is not the way of Christ's kingdom.