Deep Failure

Sunday, June 21, 2026

Los Angeles has proven completely incapable of extinguishing a warehouse fire in four days.  I could carry on for hours about this, but I just want to focus on what an utter failure it represents.  There are a few fundamental things that a municipality has to get done and get done right.  One of those is fire prevention and fire fighting.  Between the devastating wildfires of January ’25 and now this, it would seem Los Angeles cannot get that one fundamental job done.  They may be able to make mayoral votes appear out of thin air, but dealing with a fire seems impossible.  Anyplace else and this would be a political disaster, but in L.A. its just a hiccup.  The real problems lie deeper.

There are few more startling Biblical passages than Ephesians 6:5-8:

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.   Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.

The Apostle Paul urges slaves to do their jobs well, not to fight the bonds of their slavery.  That sounds non-sensical to modern ears.  But there it is in black-and-white and so it has been for about 2000 years.  What gives?

It’s simple really – God cares more about who we are than systems and economies and government.  If we are God’s people it reflects well on God when we are good in whatever circumstances we find ourselves – which includes doing our jobs well, regardless of how we are compensated, or not compensated, for it.  The Bible is full of discussion about maintaining a good reputation.  Doing your job well is part of that.

The failures of Los Angeles run deeper than simply the organization and equipment for the fire department.  They represent a fundamental separation from God.  Whatever possesses L.A., it is not an effort to be of good repute.

Ask yourself, how good a Christian are you?  One way to tell, though not the only way, is how good you are at your job.  Are you of good repute?  I think that if each of use works to do our job well and to be of good repute, then the people we elect will be too.

Let’s pray for that as we go to church this morning.