Why are there five Samson Society groups in Metro Jackson?
Mississippi is always tops (if not close to tops) in illegitimate births throughout the nation. I can speak for myself (as a Mississippian) in saying that I was Bob & Darlene's quintessential bastard child. Though bastard children are procreated throughout the 82 counties that make up Mississippi (at a ridiculously high rate), undoubtedly the highest concentration happen right here since the Metro Jackson area is the most densely populated.
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Jackson is a city teeming with shame. You can see it especially well as an outsider looking in. But, if you live amongst it, day after day, you obviously become more reticent to it. It emanates from everything within the city, in particular, though once you're within the suburbs, it does tend to recede.
Shame is like a fragrance. A fragrance that's very similar to sewage. And, of course, its root is sexual sin. Fornication, adultery, homosexuality, pedophilia, incest and so forth.
Sexual sin is powerfully debilitating to one's sense of hopefulness. And without hope, citizens are disabled emotionally as neighbors, parents, children, and so forth. Therefore, jadedness then sets in, and generations of Jacksonians are seemingly cursed. The Jackson, MS of today marinates within that curse.
And this is why so many individuals avoid this place or work diligently to escape from it. There's simply too much shame for them to stand.
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At least once a month, I reach out to my oldest friend who's now a resident of Huntsville, Alabama. We catch up for +/-20 minutes thanks to the magic of smartphones.
The architecture firm he works for is owned by fellow architecture classmates of ours (Mississippi State University class of 1995). Classmates who like ourselves, spent our last year (5th year) of architecture school living / being schooled in Jackson.
Jason was telling me today how much these longtime Huntsvillians loathed living in Jackson back in '94 / '95. And as such, continue to chide the city's "cruddiness" from afar.
In my opinion, they are spot on with that word.
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A Samson man who lived here in the Jackson Metro for a recent stint (who was also a native Alabamian) used to wonder out loud (to me) as to why there were no Samson Society groups in his native city of Birmingham.
Birmingham and Huntsville are very different cities than Jackson. Very different.
Years ago, I wrote a letter to the Executive Director of a men's ministry called "Young Business Leaders" that's headquartered in Birmingham, asking for an audience to discuss YBL potentially endorsing Samson Society as an alternative men's ministry.
I never heard back from the man despite my very demonstrative letter (I was involved in YBL here in Jackson whilst a young man).
And I believe the reason for that had much to do with the geographical epicenter of YBL - Birmingham, AL. Again, a very different city than Jackson.
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Jesus traveled constantly throughout his 3-year ministry on Earth. Going from place to place, he preached, performed miracles, and socialized with his Hebrew brethren. And the Bible speaks (within the gospel accounts) to places he resided where both his own words and those of his disciples fell flat. As such, Jesus instructed his men as to how best to react to this, and by doing so, advising them that this reaction would inevitably come - in some locations.
Jackson, MS is a city where the need for Samson Society resonates with the majority of men. The city literally is crying out for relief from the horrors that come with shame and jadedness. Therefore, as a native Mississippi bastard child, who continues to manage my own shame daily, I'm absolutely privileged to be afforded the opportunity to serve Metro Jacksonians as a facilitator of one of five local Samson Society groups.
As they say, location, location, location.
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