It was a very good article—relevant, honest, objective, non-political. Yet, in the middle of it there was a troubling observation: “While overdoses and overdose deaths have increased over the last decade in Fayette County, similar to every Tennessee county and U.S. state, overdose fatalities are still not necessarily common in the county. (The Commercial Appeal, May 10, 2023)
The story was of the death of two teen-age high school girls dying of an overdose preceding graduation commencement service. The person charged with murder of these two had been rushed to the hospital from an overdose.
It would be difficult to find a person not deeply troubled by what we are experiencing as a pandemic in drug overdose fatalities. Yet, that statement has left me uncomfortably troubled, overdose fatalities are still not necessarily common in the county. The way the writer stated the case made me sympathetic: “not necessarily common.”
This excellent and important article triggered painful reflection. When does an issue have to become “necessarily” common before it gets enough attention to result in action?
It is true…whatever gets our attention gets us. The devaluing of life itself, the “destruction” of the traditional family, the sacredness of relationships, mutual caring in community are all issues that need our attention. Especially for Christians and the Church
If we have become more concerned with our buildings, our meetings, our being acceptable in our culture than with our relationship with God, we need to seriously question whether we are focusing our attention in the right direction. The fact that overdose fatalities are still not necessarily common in the county could be the voice of the Holy seeking our attention and set us back on the narrow and hard way that leads to life.