HI ALL! Since I have been here in Nome for a month in a half now, I've been soaking in all the different things that the people live with here in this northern city. Other then the freezing temperatures, crazy weather and harsh winters one of the great issues that is hard to battle here in Nome is the situation involving alcohol. After living here for a bit, I for one can see and feel the hardships alcohol abuse can cause on individuals, families, social circles, employment, economy, the whole system.
There is a significant amount of alcohol abuse here in Nome, which is also might I add, one of first things I heard about Nome before I ended up moving here. One of the first nights living here in the city, I took a walk down the shore as far as I could before the tide was no longer rolling up the sandy ground, but crashing against the rocks. I made a stop at a gas station and then made my way walking back to my apartment. The road I walked is called Front St. and it is the oldest road in Nome, and the home of the bars here in the city. Walking down I had many encounters with sights of people unable to even keep their feet as they made their ways out of bars and people who I could tell were homeless that were in the same condition.
There is a significant amount of alcohol abuse here in Nome, which is also might I add, one of first things I heard about Nome before I ended up moving here. One of the first nights living here in the city, I took a walk down the shore as far as I could before the tide was no longer rolling up the sandy ground, but crashing against the rocks. I made a stop at a gas station and then made my way walking back to my apartment. The road I walked is called Front St. and it is the oldest road in Nome, and the home of the bars here in the city. Walking down I had many encounters with sights of people unable to even keep their feet as they made their ways out of bars and people who I could tell were homeless that were in the same condition.
These people I see are fathers, brothers, sons, cousins, nephews, members of someone's family. And with that known, I hear about many situations where children suffer family problems because of drinking and families being torn apart because of alcohol addiction. Here, it's part of normal life for the town. Personally, I have not been able to imagine an issue like this just being "part of life" before I moved here to Nome. After this realization I felt very sheltered, but also, I feel spiritually grown. I indeed thank God that he has brought an experience to me that has brought about a new way of thinking.
The social justice issue here is that the bars bring in a lot of money, money that does filter back into the economy of Nome. The issue I have is that IT'S BARS! It's a vicious cycle, a cycle hard to beat. Recently, the PFD (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Permanent_Fund_Dividend) checks were released to Alaskan residents. Once the residents received this check, a great number of people from the local villages and people in Nome end up blowing the entire check on alcohol. You see the problem here?
It's a problem that has made me feel smaller. Because of this issue here in the city, and because I am a missionary and person after the Lord's heart I have had to set up boundaries for living. I have not been able to bring myself to go into bars, or even be seen with alcohol. The United Methodist Church states that it "affirms our long-standing support of abstinence from alcohol as a faithful witness to God's liberating and redeeming love for persons." On top of this there are a series of scriptures that go against drinking alcohol:
Genesis 9:20-26
It's a problem that has made me feel smaller. Because of this issue here in the city, and because I am a missionary and person after the Lord's heart I have had to set up boundaries for living. I have not been able to bring myself to go into bars, or even be seen with alcohol. The United Methodist Church states that it "affirms our long-standing support of abstinence from alcohol as a faithful witness to God's liberating and redeeming love for persons." On top of this there are a series of scriptures that go against drinking alcohol:
Genesis 9:20-26
Genesis 19:30-38
Leviticus 10:9-11
Numbers 6:3
Leviticus 10:9-11
Numbers 6:3
These are all good examples of what alcohol does to family, judgement, and in terms of holy ritual.
Matthew 24:48-51
Luke 12:45
These are words of Jesus Christ that mention drinking being a problem.
If you would like more resources, and I mean scriptures to look at and not break down sentences of scripture, I found this site: http://www.scionofzion.com/drinking.htm. Again, I didn't look at the websites break down of the scripture, I just looked at the scripture myself to see what it is telling me.
Alcohol abuse is a societal issue, but it is also an addiction. Addictions can be passed down through bloodlines, and this makes the future of some even harder. I ask for your prayers for those that struggle with this battle or who may struggle with it in the future. +PeAcE+
i would agree that alcohol is a serious problem in out-of-the-way places like north-west alaska, though i think that you could choose a slightly better person to quote on the issue than the dude who turned water into wine.
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