Living in East London can be grim at times, and crime is rife. City News recently overheard a woman in a local restaurant near Victoria Park saying "I don't know what to do, my house has burgled so many times that I've nothing left to be stolen." And at a time when only in the last few weeks the capital is reeling from a spate of teenage gun-fueled murders, one can wonder what the world is coming to.
Jesus was both merciful towards criminals and died as a common criminal, with criminals crucified alongside Him, but His message and the transformation He can bring to those who believe in Him can actually help bring crime down. In the 1700s, an era not unlike ours in terms of the high rate of crime, alcoholism, and general social breakdown, great revivals occurred in which the Holy Spirit was poured out on ordinary people believers and non-believers alike, and many places reported falls in crime as criminals repented and turned their lives to Christ.
Perhaps instead of LA style gun squads as the main solution, we ought to think about how turning to Jesus could help many of us in the East End turn back from the brink - before it is too late.
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