Detroit-they used to make cars there, didn't they?

Years ago I had a customer who did business in Detroit, but lived in La Jolla.  He was part of a decades old family run business, and would visit Motown a few times a year.  When not driving the latest Mercedes Benz had to offer, he drove an old “pregnant elephant” Packard convertible, a beautiful light yellow.  The first new Packards after WWII, it connected him to Detroit and its past, long before it became the urban blight it is today.  One afternoon he let me drive it around La Jolla, and many heads turned.  While the younger ones stared, just another old car to them, the older folks smiled and waved, as they could remember when Packard meant luxury, which meant success and prestige.  Both understood in La Jolla still today.  But he would tell me stories of how grand it was driving down E. Grand in Detroit, and the majesty of the old buildings, all based on the auto business, that formed the town.  But he warned how the city had fallen into decay, and that carjacking was a popular sport for thieves, and leave an out when stopping for a stop light.  They would box you in and rob you...hard to imagine such a gorgeous car came from a town that rich in history, but had become the poorest of the poor within a few decades after.  When the auto manufacturers found it cheaper to build cars in other countries rather than try to meet userous union demands, Detroit became a toilet, where once old, proud  neighborhoods existed, now being torn down or burned down.  And so when we travelled through Detroit 6 years ago, we were careful to avoid the downtown, although riding through it on the interstate.  Depressing and depressed, houses could be sold for hundreds of dollars, or entire blocks for a few thousand.  The auto business had left Detroit, and so had the decades of prosperity, the history, the wealth, and the legacy.  In a succession of mayors that went to jail, Detroit came to represent all that was wrong with America.  Detroit, they used to build cars there, didn’t they?

Watching a show on the water crisis in Flint, up the road from Detroit, I remember riding through there on the way to Detroit, but not stopping.   It was scary, rusty, abandoned buildings, all that Detroit promised later, was seen there.  The town that gave us Buick, who gave us Billy Durant, who formed General Motors, and built cars there himself after he was fired from the same company twice, and many auto related businesses.  It was in ruin, and really is today from the fact you cannot drink the water.  It is poisonous, and kids are getting sick.  Imagine no drinking water, no showers, which means houses are worth around $10,000 on the high end, which kills any business wanting to move in.  No more real estate for sale, houses are being condemned, and one plumber estimates that it would take around $10,000 per home, times 25,000 of them to make them safe.  No one will spend the money to fix their home to make it worth what it is with no water, mixed in with high poverty levels, Buicks aren’t made in Flint, but there is a huge new plant in China, and nothing gets fixed.  Health deteriorates, but attitudes have already begun, and fingers are pointed.  Surely the government is to blame, and the political outcries were heard.  “Spend more money, dump the republican governor,” not surprising from an all Democratic council, mayor, and senator.  Another case of the government failing the people, but really it may have roots that are self inflicted going back many years.  No matter, it needs to be fixed, and blaming each other only starts more problems, more arguments.  Soon people are at each other, race war escalates, and everyone loses.  The one unifying statement was that “no one trusted government,” and wanted to start over. With what or who wasn’t stated, just that government has to pay for it.  Which means you and me.....

But back to Detroit, where a man from South America bought the old Packard plant, all 40 acres of what is left, with a dream of turning it into a business complex.  He paid only $405,000 for it, but has spent 10 times that cleaning it up, and lost his latest backer due to economic changes in the world that threaten a downturn.  He will secure other funding, but for now the future is on hold.  It seems that all the money may rebuild a beautiful historic plant one day, make it usable and desirable, but who is going to change the hearts of people in Detroit?  Why would anyone want to move there?  Add Flint into the equation, and will the last person out of Michigan please turn out the light?  All the king’s horses, and all his men are in danger, and they blame each other, but still think money is the answer.  Hey Bill Gates, here is a town for sale?  What great place to show your humanitarianism?  Bring back Detroit!  Bring back Flint!  Can you right click and repair this mess?

Scripture tells us the wise man built his house upon the rock, and when the storms came it withstood them.  The rock being Jesus, and trusting him in all situations.  Built upon greed and money, we see the love of money will also kill you when you flee with it elsewhere.  When profits became the main thing, and more could be made somewhere else, money made there went elsewhere in search of even more.  The love of money being the root of all evil, Detroit, Flint, and many other once prosperous towns like them in the US of A stand of testimonies of that.  When built on money, when the money is gone, the people turn on each other, and soon we have anarchy.  Out of control, and we see it today, warned of in the Bible, demonstrated on streets in cities worldwide.  But Jesus talks of resurrection, can cities be resurrected too?

You can only resurrect something that was alive once and has died.  Jesus tells us he is “the resurrection and the life,” yet many pray, then stand in government lines waiting for a hand out.  When we pray do we wait for an answer?  Or do we start to blame God for our situation?  Have you ever considered what God has done in the past when we pray?  We believe in a final resurrection, but do we believe God for a right now one?  Do we have faith in him right now, or do we behave as the lenders do, a world crisis looms, we will wait until it is over.  Only hastening its arrival....will we listen to God’s answer, or are we too busy complaining and blaming to listen?  Are we listening now?  Do you believe the hope and future Jesus talks about can happen today?  Yesterday today was tomorrow...and we believed a better day was coming, are we watching and waiting, and maybe God has answered, and we missed it, or didn’t agree with it?

Detroit is an example of too many lives, built not upon the rock, Jesus Christ, and when troubles come, they suffer and die.  How fitting God uses storms of water to wash away the foundations, and Flint knows all about bad water.  But Jesus offers good water, the best water, the spirit.  Can we drink from him just a sip, and see our lives changed?  We say we believe God, will we trust him enough to follow him if the path is treacherous?  Will we learn from Detroit and Flint, or carry on not trusting God until it happens here?  Do you believe God can resurrect your life, or are you just waiting to die a slow death without him?
Some believe resurrection power only works in cemetaries, but it starts from within.  Repent, turn to Jesus, then obey and follow.  The government cannot help you, local social clubs are ineffective, and even the churches are failing.  We need Jesus, before it is too late.  When each one of us is resurrected, others will follow.  Our testimony and Jesus will change them.  It isn’t about money, but about Jesus.  Who offers you to drink from his well...are you still thirsty?  Tired, and need rest?  Confused and disillusioned?  He will calm you, place your feet on solid ground, and resurrect you.  One bad decision can bring decades of misery, one good one, turning to Jesus, can turn it all around. 

Too much water we get floods, not enough droughts.  Dirty we get sick.  But living water will keep us well, and guarantee the future.  Don’t let a physical problem mask a spiritual one.  Do not treat a symptom, treat the disease.  Sin is the disease, Jesus the only cure.  Detroit-pray for them, that their eyes may be open, and their hearts changed.  That they will be saved, and Jesus will save their city.  Men have dreams about resurrecting historical plants, do we dream of a day when God resurrects our hearts?  It has already begun, will you be part of it?  Which fountain will you drink from?  The people in flint have no other fountain to turn to, but will they?  If faced with a problem, where do you drink from when thirsty?  And when the floods came the house stood.  Jesus is the rock...even in Flint and Detroit.  Turn to him before the lights go out.  Today many can only drink water from a bottle, don’t keep your God bottled up too.  Just a thought when you turn on your tap, or shower today.  Where does your water come from?  Water from a rock, or water the government told you was safe?  And would you wash your old Packard with it?

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com