Beauty And the Beast

Another stop on our vacation was San Francisco. When Kathy and I started dating, many of our dates were in SF. We loved the Fisherman's Wharf area, Ghirardelli Square, Union Square, riding the cable cars, and a coffee shop that doesn't exist anymore, Portofino's. Downtown San Francisco at Christmas was a magical place. We loved the views around the Golden Gate bridge and a favorite date was to take the ferry across the bay to Sausalito. We dated at a time when the political climate in the city was more moderate and the extremists had not taken over yet.

Today the views were spectacular, the sailboats were out in force, we watched a couple of giant container ships come in to port and tried to explain to our sons what Alcatraz Island was all about. Two things were sad to observe. One was the landscaping in the parks and open areas around Fisherman's Wharf and the Cannery. It is obvious that no one is paying much attention. What used to be immaculate flower beds and trimmed bushes, are now overgrown plots of ground that have not had any attention in quite a while. I suppose that this is a casualty of serious financial mismanagement in this state that has brought it to the brink of bankruptcy. The second sadness was to see what has happened to all the shops and stores that line the streets that lead from the wharf area to Ghirardelli Square. There used to be art galleries, clothing shops, upscale gift stores, luggage stores and other interesting places to window shop. Today it is "junk row." Tee shirts, imported trinkets and knock off purses... We didn't even slow down as we walked down the street.

Still, this is a beautiful city that has lost it's way. People struggling to include everyone, and missing everybody. The contrast is of the bay and the city, with all of it's contour and substance, and a political climate that level headed people have trouble understanding and living with. I think if I lived in San Francisco, I would never get tired of the views. But I know I would be drawn into the fight for righteousness. There are some wonderful spiritual battles being won here, but so much more needs to be done. This jewel of the Pacific has lost its lustre, for now. But it doesn't need to be that way forever. Lord, as we think about this stop on our vacation, help us to pray for this wonderful city and its people.