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Pillar of Salt
While several world cities surpass the excesses of the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, I am leaving one of the largest, Los Angeles. I moved to LA in 1997 but took a one year sojourn to Las Vegas in 2015. Las Vegas had all the excess of Los Angeles but none of the depth. I feel like Lot’s wife in the Old Testament because I “looked back” to LA from Las Vegas and returned for one more round of seasoning. Whether you believe that Lot’s wife turned into a literal pillar of salt doesn’t matter. Those who make a decision to change their life but then look back at and long for the ways of their past, spoil their new direction. The eternal message Lot’s wife offers is to never look back, live fully in the present.
When I moved to Las Vegas, I blamed much of my disgust for Los Angeles on the government’s poor treatment of people. Promises for a better tomorrow manifest in the corrupt policies and poor social programming of today. Only in a modern Sodom can the economy be booming and the poverty rates increase simultaneously. Only in a modern Sodom can non-enforcement of laws allow thieves to drive small businesses into bankruptcy because each criminal only stole a small and reasonable amount. (While the black market on everything from street food to pot expands unchecked.)
Only in a modern Sodom can the politically correct fad of the day and the whims of a tiny emotion-driven group replace common sense to destroy the social fabric of the city. Only in a modern Sodom do “all-knowing” Psychics compete for Class B storefronts with Asian Massage Parlors. Only in a modern Sodom can all manner of sexual perversions be held up as examples to emulated. Los Angeles meets all of these basic requirements to be a modern Sodom and much worse. However, it’s not the fault of the government which is only a reflection of the masses. An evil generation cannot inspire selfless leaders. Whatever is cultivated and raised produces the fruits that are harvested.
I am finally at peace with this city because I have identified those qualities within myself that have caused me to call this “home” for the majority of my adult life. I moved to Los Angeles because I was consumed with selfish desires.
