Who is “Within Reach”?
And Who Pastor Jed Mullenix?
First, this is NOT a take down of Pastor Jed Mullenix. If you are looking for something along such lines, search somewhere else. I believe he earnestly wants to make a meaningful difference in our communities.
Mullenix is a pastor who became CEO of an organization called Within Reach to unite Christian leaders. He appears to have been CEO for about the last five years. They have their own website (https://withinreach.com/) and put out an interesting book State of the City: Omaha Metro. An Omaha City Council member had mentioned the organization at a speaking event.
I became intrigued and bought the book, read it, and was a bit discouraged in spite of the valiant attempt to address Omaha issues. On the plus side, the book has a lot of interesting things to say about Omaha and is backed up by data but some of the data is not well presented.
To make matters worse, the book is full of familiar left-leaning platitudes with no resemblance to problem-solving and logic. I am so use to such advocacy, and how useless it is: I rather use it for toilet paper. Yet pages of the book are hard and course. All right! I am being mean, but I merely was not impressed at all with many of the concerns in the book.
Yes, mental health and education must be addressed as the book mentions, but the only way to turn this about is if a bunch of militants stormed the Omaha Public Schools administration building and started executing administrators with a guillotine. Yes, I know! Another empty platitude! But the point is fundamental change must take place in the Omaha Public School district and it simply is not happening. Students receive horrible test scores and end of with bleak future.
Poverty and homelessness a problem? Fine, make being poor and homeless a punishable felony offense. Trust me! This solves the homeless problem! But of course, this is just another empty platitude going no where. At the same time, we really need to focus as to why people cannot prosper out of poverty. We need to realize property taxes deceptively erode the right to have a place called home. Yet, the book does not even mention this at all.
Here is some sound advice for Christians. Many in Omaha are concerned about mental illness. The revolution in digital technology is at the center of the problem. Digital technology allows for unfettered idealism and causes many to forget the value of tangible things. The conflict between the two often creates an emotional focus instead of discernment and goal-focused logic.
A saying goes: give man a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. This wisdom is lost on those who give money to panhandlers. Emotions makes you want to give money to the panhandler but such giving only encourages more panhandling, and does not generate lifelong prosperity for the panhandler.
I am sorry. Compassion is not a cardinal virtue. Compassion can be unwise, self-serving, and selfish. Compassion is so keyed to personal emotions, it is alcohol to get drunk on because it is done for the sake of emotion, not piety or logic. Compassion has become a form of masturbation in urban areas. Neither helps posterity. The four cardinal virtues are prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. Focus on the cardinal virtues must come first. Yes, I know you are going to have to search the internet for the definition of such words! Sorry!
What is needed is self-improvement of the human condition but for this to happen, the reality of the conflict between the digital and tangible world must be brought to focus. But the digital world has made people focus on emotions (how you feel) instead of the tangible (something I can see change in). With television, the internet and smart phones, the lack of logic and discernment are shocking.
Nouns are people, places and things, but in a digital world, the idea of place and thing have been vastly altered causing immense problems which most people cannot see. You are familiar with parables and perhaps Aesop's Fables. The story of the Man, Boy and Donkey has been a classic about trying to please everyone as well as being judged by others. (Here is the link https://fablesofaesop.com/the-man-the-boy-and-the-donkey.html ).
Those who remember the story forget: the donkey dies because of the judgment and expectations of others. In ancient times, a donkey had great value in traveling and moving items. Today, few own a donkey and if they do, they are not likely to use it to go to market as in the story. At the same time, many do not go to a “market” and therefore they do not encounter people on the way, because they shop privately on the internet from home and have items delivered. Can you see this is a unique problem in the digital age? Nope, Christians are worried about porn and social media, instead of the necessary engagement in the tangible world.
Andrew, I want to encourage you to write a conservative (or libertarian!) answer to the questions posed in the book--and market it in Omaha. Not everyone agrees with the liberal insanity--and there are serious problems that need more useful answers.
Mental health is a huge one.
There are things I want to say here about that, but do not feel I can discuss with the general public at this time. Maybe later.
But this much I can say: the liberal "feel good" answers are a complete and utter disaster. They've resulted in the mentally ill becoming dangerously addicted to toxic meds and resulted in the abuse, mistreatment, jailing, and utter neglect of the vulnerable and the disadvantaged. This causes severe detriment to the mentall ill and it not only wreaks havoc on their lives and the lives of everyone around them, but results in people having to pay higher taxes while crime and domestic violence become ever more serious.