Youngstown isn’t alone

Youngstown isn’t alone

After we read Bertram de Souza’s May 6 column we thought a quote we read would be of interest to your readers. We believe our area has mistaken what it means to have prosperity. This Valley had a brilliant past marked with dark times. We had prosperity and business growth, but it was underlined with corruption. After the mills closed we lost our revenue and pride. Even though times seem to be brightening with fracking and V&M Star, we fear those deep-rooted corruption influences will once again rise up.

But there is hope for the Mahoning Valley, and the answer has been around for a long time. Here is a portion of a letter written to a city that lost its pride, its horse track, its theaters, and status among neighboring cities.

“Are you grieving that our city’s dignity has been stripped away? Well it’s time to learn a lesson about what gives a city true dignity. Then you’ll clearly understand that so long as the inhabitants themselves don’t give it up, no one else will be able to remove our city’s honor. It’s not about having the rank of metropolis, nor being filled with large and beautiful buildings. It’s not about being adorned with many columns and spacious porticoes and covered walkways. It’s not about being publicly celebrated by other cities. Rather, greatness comes from the virtue and piety of its inhabitants. That’s what gives a city its dignity and ornamentation and security. If these things aren’t found, then even if the city were to enjoy countless honors from emperors, it would be the most worthless place of all. ...

“Remember: it is not the prominence of our city, but the virtue of our souls, that provides our true adornment and security!”

Written by Bishop John Chrysostom to the city of Antioch in 325 A.D.

Nell Higgins, Hubbard; Bob Armstrong, Niles, and Diane and Dominic Zinghini, Liberty Township

The writers are members of a Bible study group.