I know we all have our opinions about our government and God. We debate on what we want out of both to fit our comfort. For instance, we want equality from the government, but on a lot of occasions it is not given. Then we look to God for certain things but get mad when He doesn’t give them, or think He’s just punishing us for whatever reason, or maybe just thinking He doesn’t care because we’re not good enough (which is not true). Some people don’t care at all.
I can tell you this one thing though, New Covenant Evangelistic Center (NCEC) cares. I’ve been attending this church located on New Jersey Ave. NW, and in the process of attending their services, I’ve never seen a people so committed to loving and helping others while doing their work for The Lord. Others make promises and tell you that they’re there for you in your time of need. When that time comes, a lot of the time, they are not there. Sometimes you don’t even get a phone call from the ones you love just to check in and give encouraging words or tell you that they “love you.”
Not NCEC! These people, and the doing of God’s will, is the reason I’m sober ‘till this day. I’ve been into drugs and drinking and even went into programs under the influence because of their lack of caring for their clients. The employees didn’t feel like being bothered with you because they didn’t like what you were saying or because not everybody wanted to talk about religion or God. They dismiss you or end the session and tell you to come back when you calm down, instead of helping defuse the situation. You have programs like mental health that have case managers who walk out on clients when they get into a mental breakdown or “episode,” if you will. Some programs, employees or employers pass judgment, are the cause of some of these mental breakdowns, make clients feel worse than they felt before they came in to utilize their services and even tell you “I don’t feel like dealing with this today” when this is what they signed up for. I should know, because I attended some of these programs. I’ve come in contact with case managers who will do half of their work or ignore calls and messages for months. They will argue with you, ignore certain requests, or just ignore you period instead of helping.
These situations led me back to drinking and smoking, and in certain situations, led me to incarceration because of actions done under the influence. No one to show you that they care, no one to be by your side in the time of your most frustrating moments, always pointing out your faults but not wanting to help you get better, or just plain heartless. But this is what the government is supposed to be spending our tax dollars on. Programs to help you get better.
So let me ask you this: Why were things that I was supposed to be getting from these government programs something I got from NCEC? I attended one of their services during the pandemic and for some reason, even though I’m one of those people who don’t get into things like church that easily, I could just feel the love and the presence of the spirit when I come around them. Some of you all that’s reading this right now will probably go to the next page because a lot of you don’t want to hear about nothing that has to do with The Lord, and that’s totally up to you. But I can tell you this one thing: They’ve provided better service than half of you that’s supposed to be using our tax dollars to help people in need like me.
Not only were they there to teach about the gospel of Christ, but they offered support and told me to reach out to them and let them know what I needed help with. They always reminded me that God cares and showed me in so many ways that they do too. They’ve offered a helping hand when me, my companion and child were in need, they offered to be a support at my court hearings if need be, continued to console me throughout my stages of substance abuse, prayed for me and talked me out of doing wrong. Yet throughout all the troubles and even some financial problems with the church, they still lend out a helping hand. The pastor and his wife have been good people of hope and direct me in the right path whether I’m completely in the wrong or not. Unlike some of you people who work in these so-called rehabilitated programs and get paid to add more to the confusion we’re already going through.
So with that acknowledged: mayor, president, any government officials that might be reading this, you may need to check your house. We’re going into a government shutdown because the people of The Lord are doing what your government programs are supposed to be getting paid to do. Just something for you to think about before you continue to allow people to talk recklessly about the church, God and the people of God.
Donté Turner is an artist and vendor with Street Sense
