THE FLEAS COME WITH THE DOG

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Phoenix, according to the London based Economist magazine, is a “crime-ridden mess.” They haven’t always felt that way. They once wrote that Phoenix was the “All-America City” and well governed. Yes, Phoenix is growing rapidly and has plenty of hurdles. But it is not a mess.

An old man sitting on a porch in North Georgia, commented about how his town was growing and then said, “You never get the dog without the fleas-- big dog, more fleas.” In his mind, bigness and the “fleas” that come with it are inescapable.

I agree with the old man. Phoenix is now the fifth largest city in America. We must learn to take the fleas with the dog—the bad with the good—and press on with faith in ourselves, our city, our country and our God.