“Las Vegas is spiritually bankrupt”. I remember uttering those words when my brother wanted to move, and ultimately moved there, in 2007. He didn’t agree, nor did he understand how a single visit could lead me to that conclusion. Even after more than two years there, he still said it was an okay place. In a twist only the good Lord can provide, both of us ended up seeing the other’s perspective.
This past weekend, I flew out to Las Vegas to help my brother pick out a new place to live as well as to just catch up and goof around. As he showed me around the city, I kept pointing out how “in your face” the city was. In the midst of the plushest of surroundings, food aplenty, and money galore, the homelessness was staggering, sex and prostitution was wildly rampant, and the “anything goes” attitude was off the charts. The most telling of all, however, was K-LOVE’s signal strength. The static was pervasive. I felt it was a direct reflection of how God feels about Vegas. I mean, his light is trying to penetrate the greed, the lust, the lack of values, and the evil, but it just can’t quite get through it all. It speaks volumes of his love because despite it all, he stills get through.
So there I was, steering my brother out of the darkness. It was awesome because he finally got what I was trying to tell him two years ago. He just kept saying “you’re right, you’re right”. It wasn’t sarcastic, but authentic. Once I heard that, I felt all proud of myself. I, John Swanagon, was right and I helped my bro at the same time. I remember thinking to myself, does it get any better than that?
Oh but I love how God said “not so fast”. It happened when my brother took me to his new Church, Cornerstone Christian Fellowship. I got to meet a number of people, including Pastor Greg. This guy was awesome. Everything about him said “genuine article”. I loved the sign he had in his office; it read “life is too short to take it seriously“. What struck me the most, however, was how the place felt. With a damaged spinal cord as a result of a martial arts injury, my body is in constant, excruciating pain. It is the kind of pain you have to experience to understand. At his Church though, I was pain free. That only happens when God’s light and warmth is so present that there isn’t room for anything else. (For those who don’t believe God heals, I’m here to tell you that he does.) It was profound. I can’t begin to describe what it is like to have pain that can sometimes make it difficult to move or standstill, just go away. It is indescribable. I just wish it wouldn’t have been temporary.
So, there I was in Las Vegas of all places, and I learn that God is just as present in the city of sin as he is in Denver or Dallas. I even found good people in Vegas. I used to think there was only one. LOL. (That is brotherly bias in case you missed it.) It is a constant reminder, to me, of how I shouldn’t make assumptions. I made the assumption that God wasn’t in Vegas. It was an arrogant assumption. Yes, it was. It reminds me of what one of my angels said to me while I was in Brazil. He said, “God is here too”. I didn’t understand why he said that to me at the time. I felt God there. But I now understand why he said that to me. I get it.
Overall, I believe that the world I live in is, for the most part, cruel, mean, and evil. It doesn’t help that I live in Highlands Ranch. The people here are shallow, self-centered, cruel, and above all, phony. It why I am moving and moving out of state. I refuse to live with people like that. I want to live in a place where God’s light shines bright and deep and where people are good, kind, and descent. Not only will I be spiritually fulfilled, I might even lose some of this pain at the same time. I know places like that exist, especially after finding it, at least in part, in Las Vegas. Although I won’t be moving to Vegas, the place I want to call “home” is around. When I find it, it’ll jive with my career, my house will sell, and I will simply move there. But until that happens, I will continue to try to be a beacon of light in the darkness that surrounds me. What gives me strength is knowing that God is here too, just like my angel said. (And speaking of angels, you haven’t lived until one of them becomes your best friend and you end up helping him as much as he helps you.)
