Las Vegas
Jesus Is In Sin City As an intern at The City Church I was able to travel with a team of 30 to Las Vegas to support The Church at South Las Vegas for a week. At first Las Vegas was a clone of Seattle other than the fact that the sun was out, it was 70 degrees, and we were stuck in the middle of the desert. A few days into the trip we took our vans (or moving boxes of terror and death) right through the strip (Las Vegas Boulevard)…the place known for the flashing lights, glitz and glamour, and the origination of the phrase “What happens in Vegas…” As we drove through the strip the lights soon gave way to darkness, the hotels became motels, and the casinos became strip joints. This is the Las Vegas everyone seeks- ironically it is still far away from all the pretty lights and shows…because sin cannot help but hide. Even in a place where sin is expected and encouraged it cannot go against its nature- it seeks the dark alleys and the secluded spots. This is the Las Vegas no one sees. It is never filmed because no one would watch that movie. It is never photographed because the pictures would never be bought. It is dark, lonely, and creepy. This is the consequence of the giltz and glam. As all sin has a consequence so the Vegas Strip has its dark side. This place is the true picture of Las Vegas. As I saw this place my heart sunk for the people who have been relegated to exist in this place. These people who bought into the Las Vegas lie, and now realize just what that lie entailed. There was no laughing, smiling, or winning large amounts of cash- there was only the grim reality of a life lived in addiction. Just as I thought I couldn’t bear this place any longer our car pulled along side a poorly lit building with a large sign straight out of the 70s. This building looked no different than the marriage chapels, porn shops, or tattoo parlors surrounding it- yet there was something much more enduing about this place. It looked as though it stood before the strip and will continue to stand afterwards. The sign that caught my attention had the simple and most powerful word written on it: Jesus. The sign did not say “Church”. The sign did not say “Help”. The sign did not say “Welcome”. It merely said: Jesus. Because in the end that is what people need. More than help, money, a church, or a mentor- the people who are really dealing with the consequences of rampant sin need Jesus. They need the manGod who chases them down and turns them around even when they are unable to do it themselves. Im glad that sign said Jesus. Though Churches close down, pastors fall, and help may never come- Jesus is, was, and always will be the salvation of mankind. It isn’t a coincidence that a sign bearing the name of Jesus is in the middle of the self proclaimed City of Sin…because if Jesus were here today- that is exactly where He would be.
