Missing the Point

Downtown Santa Barbara is a maze of walkways, one way streets, pedestrian malls, shops and restaurants. It is a popular area for petty criminals who move in and out of parking lots, municipal parks and other gathering spots to panhandle, drink alcohol, sell and use drugs or steal. The skill of a cop is measured by the ability sneak up on people while in uniform. I made it a practice walk through these areas and get the drop on crooks engaged in illegal activity. My goal, make the downtown as unwelcome as possible for scofflaws.

One afternoon, I made my way into a parking lot off State Street using a fence and cars to conceal my approach. I spotted a group of four people huddled between two parked cars, passing a joint between them. I got close enough to smell the scent of burning marijuana and was about ten yards away before they figured out they were getting busted. One of the four took off on a dead run. The race was on.

The good thing about a pot smoker is that they lose wind quickly especially if they get caught in the middle of getting high. The guy lasted about a block and gave up when he saw I was closing the gap. It turned out he was 14. I put the cuffs on and walked him back to my car. I knew the three guys he was with and asked why he was hanging around with adults. He told me they were the friends he hung out with when he skipped class. Driving to the station, I learned that he lived in Montecito, a very wealthy area of Santa Barbara, and this kid lacked nothing. He talked about the electric car his parents bought for him to drive around their property. It was clear that this was just a teenage kid hanging around with 20 something druggies.Why?

After we got to the station, I put him in a holding room and called his parents. It took a while for Mom and Dad to arrive so I got to talk to him at length. I realized that he had every financial advantage but was ignored by his parents. They didn’t spend time with him. The result, he had the cash to buy dope and “friends” that were more then happy to spend the quality time with him that he was looking for. This was true, of course, until he got arrested.

I left the boy in the holding room and went to finish up the paperwork. One of my partners walked by and recognized the last name. He began telling me about the various businesses the parents owned in Santa Barbara and how they were “very important” in the community. I told him I didn’t care who they were or what they owned, they were lousy parents.

So what to do? I was not going to be confrontational or disrespectful but I was not going to keep quiet. It did not matter if they liked what I had to say, this was a kid at risk. Mom and Dad arrived and I told them who their son was with, what he was doing and the consequences that he faced. I made this statement, “I think what your son needs right now is some love and attention.” 

The Mom paused for a moment and asked with all seriousness, “Do you think a boarding school is in order?”

If there was a misdemeanor Bad Parenting law on the books, I would have scratched her a ticket on the spot. Press hard, three copies. FAIL.

In Mark 9, and in contrast to Bordering School Mom, a desperate father asked Disciples of Christ to heal his son tormented by an evil spirit. The spirit rendered the child mute, causing him to convulse, foam at the mouth, gnash his teeth and fall to the ground rigid. The Disciples could not heal the boy and were arguing with the “teachers of the law” when Jesus showed up.

I think that two things were going on at this moment. First, we have a father hoping that the Disciples of Christ would heal his son where doctors could not. Second, the Disciples and teachers were more interested in debating whether or not the condition was caused by the sins of the family rather than figuring out how to help the child. Jesus rebuked the group for being an unbelieving generation. The father asked Jesus to heal his son but hedged by adding “If you can…”

"'If I can?’ said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for one who believes.’ Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (9:23-24) Jesus healed the boy. The disciples asked Jesus why they could not drive out the evil spirit. Jesus told them that kind of evil can only be driven out by prayer.

Missing the point is nothing new. We can get wrapped up arguing about procedures and rules or become so self focused that we are incapable of compassion, forgiveness or mercy. We cause CHAOS (Christian Has Arrived On Scene). Are we part of the next unbelieving generation or do we stand firm in faith, living the gospel each day as a witness to the world that we get the point?

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.” 1 Corinthians 16: 13-14