The situation on our streets was dire before COVID: many homeless, drug addicted, and mental health sufferers were to be found on every city block. Then came the lockdowns of our businesses, schools and institutions, followed by masking and social distancing and gathering restrictions. Finally, there were vaccine mandates, which included, not just one shot of mRNA, but two.

If one did not obey every dictate of Federal, Provincial (State), and Municipal Governments, there was a lot to lose. But then, even if one followed all the regulations passed down “willy-nilly” by each Government’s health officials, there were still consequences.

And so many lost so much: physical and mental health, livelihoods, homes, access to basic necessities…life!

To be personal for a moment: my business, which I established in November, 2019 (four months before the lockdowns), survived the Pandemic; my wife and I still have our home and a comfortable middle-class existence; we were able to regather most of our family, especially those who did not fare so well during COVID – two of five children were afflicted with cancer during that time; two of the families of our children were completely shattered; our eight grandchildren did not escape suffering the short and long-term psychological effects of the isolation imposed on them.

What happened to just the nineteen persons in our extended family is hurtful enough and I believe the damage caused among us during COVID is irreparable, but what I am watching in the core of the major city where I work is absolutely heart wrenching!

Less than a city block west of my place of business is a church that does the good work of providing daily meals for the homeless and/or hungry of the immediate area. The “food lines” there have almost quadrupled since I first noticed them five years ago.

The police regularly park their cars nearby to monitor because among the clients of this church program are many good people who are “down and out,” but there are also present the mentally-ill and drug-addicted – there has been violence to people and property.

I must also mention that there have been attempts by the homeless to set up tent dwellings in front of retail buildings around this church (this city is well-short of housing at this time, especially with the unrestricted influx of immigrants to it).

After getting their meal trays, a few persons will spread food leftovers all over the alleyway between the building I am in and the one next door. Further, those regularly urinate and defecate in that alleyway (I know, because I have taken it upon myself to clean up and dispose of the mess more times than I care to remember).

And if that is not enough, a few of these regularly break into surrounding buildings at night to sleep or “sleep-off” (whatever substance they have ingested). One young man has entered the lobby of the building I am in multiple times and exposed himself (and worse).

The police will do nothing – who can blame them when everyone has a camera on their cellphones these days, and will photograph or film their actions “verifying” that, during the course of their duties, they engaged in brutality against these unfortunate souls?

Indeed, many of these have become victims of our society, particularly during 2020 and 2021. Too many are casualties of ill-conceived government policies advised by science and medical professionals who, in their hubris, made regular (i.e.: daily) public appearances with “life-saving” solutions to the Pandemic. It was distressing to see that the handling of COVID became very political, instead of doing what was best for our citizenry.

Lest I am perceived as “self-righteous” on this issue, allow me to mention that I have been involved in working with addicted persons for a couple of decades now, and currently serve on the Board of a non-profit organization that supplies the necessities of life (food, clothing, shelter) for six communities within the region where I live. At the secondary school where she works, my wife provides a breakfast program for students who come to school hungry each day.

There is a very noticeable difference in what we are dealing with post-Pandemic versus pre-Pandemic: the numbers of those that need the basics of life have grown exponentially – the trend is still upward!

I try not to get too political in commentary, but if our governments threw as much money at homelessness and food insecurity and substance abuse recovery, as they did into welfare payments and lockdown compensation (or loans) and vaccine procurement during COVID, we might begin to get on top of these societal maladies.

With what is occurring in cities and communities, it does not seem likely that we will be able reverse the situation I described above. Our governments seem only interested in virtue signalling on issues that will win them elections (and how are the homeless, mentally-ill or addicted going to help them with that?).

Wouldn’t it be great to have a government that was solely interested in the welfare of all its people? Wouldn’t it be grand if everyone were able to live prosperous and fulfilling lives in need of nothing? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every single human being was able to achieve and maintain the dignity meant in being created in the image and after the likeness of God?

Fortunately, all of that is coming soon: about 2,000 years ago, we were promised that Jesus Christ would assume the territories and people of all this world’s governments and bring a “utopian” kingdom of God to the earth. God speed that day!