Though I believe we should de-stigmatize drug addiction and help those in its grip get into recovery, I have a very hard time not judging a man who decided he would rather let his eight-year-old child writhe in agony for hours and die than get help for him because he knew he was going to get in trouble and go back to jail if he did. Obviously…since he got in trouble and is going back to jail anyway, he sacrificed young Curtis for literally no reason. This, I suppose, can certainly be attributed to the effects of crystal meth on the brain mentioned above, but it does not absolve the boy’s father of his guilt—he should serve a long sentence for what amounts to a very cruel manslaughter, in my humble opinion.
Yet, as much as I want to revile him for what he’s allowed to happen to his son, I also feel sympathy for him and those mired in crystal meth addiction or any drug addiction. My judgment of him and parents like him is not going to help solve the drug crisis in our country. But I believe my compassion, our compassion, has the ability to heal and change the path for many struggling with addiction.
Friends, if you are praying people, I hope you will start praying against the scourge of drugs in our country. Addiction is taking lives of precious humans made in the image of God, it is ripping children from their families, and it is stealing the souls of much of an entire generation. If you know someone struggling with addiction, please offer them empathy, support, and encouragement. If we start advocating for recovery for parents, I’ve no doubt we can save the lives of their children as well.
