Addiction

Addiction is a horrible thing. You see the pictures of people, before and after their use of meth. At Nightwatch, we spend a fair amount of time dealing with junkies, either sick of life and wanting change, or sick of life and continuing the spiral downward.

People in the community have very little patience with addicts -- they just want to run them out of the neighborhood. Which is impossible of course, since a certain number of people living here in their own home are also addicted.

Sometimes people in churches are even more impatient, as though addiction is simply a matter of moral failure. When I go talk to church groups (think, "little old ladies") they can't seem to relate to the pattern of use, remorse, sobriety, relapse.

Until I mention food.

Anyone that has ever struggled with weight issues can understand -- biological urge seems to trump common sense. I know, food problems are not the same as heroin addiction. But people in the pews seem to understand the urge to eat donuts, or popsicles, even when you know you shouldn't, and don't really want to.

Those popsicles seem to talk to me sometimes. How about you?