A Deeper Look: Praying for Multnomah County

 

But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

Thoughts are turning to the 2022 elections in Oregon. The candidate lists are still being determined, but the primary is May 17^th, a date to keep in prayer. The election itself is November 8^th. The spotlight is on the governor’s race, but there are other positions open that are nearly as crucial to the future as the governor’s race.

I tend to think of Multnomah as synonymous with the City of Portland, but of course there is a bit of
country to the east of Portland that is outside the city limits and more rural. Troutdale, Wood Village, and Gresham as well as smaller, unincorporated communities are in Multnomah County. Portland is the county seat.

We wrote earlier about Multnomah County and Portland.

Multnomah is the smallest county in the state at 433 square miles, and the largest by population. It’s urban population leans left politically and has carried more than one election in the opposite direction to the rest of the more rural and conservative state. Multnomah lies in a narrow strip at the top of Clackamas County, and is bordered on the north by the Columbia River.

The most visited natural site in the Pacific Northwest is in Multnomah County. Multnomah Falls receives about two million visitors a year. This was certainly a favorite place to stop when I was a child, and I’ve seen early photos of other family members posed beside their early model cars with the falls as backdrop. Dad once showed me a thick log rail beside a trail in which he had carved his initials as a teenager. We often hiked up to the little iconic bridge for a closer look, but I only recall one time hiking all the way to the top. My reluctance to go to the top of the cliff might be in part from my father telling me the legend of the falls when I was quite young. Reputedly, the local Multnomah tribe attributed the formation of the falls to a young chief’s daughter who offered herself as a sacrifice to save her tribe from a plague by throwing herself off the top of the cliff. After her death, the high, silvery falls magically began to flow over the cliff, a memorial of her purity and sacrifice.

C.S. Lewis wrote quite a bit about how ancient myths can be “premonitions” or “good dreams” that reflect elements of God’s plan of redemption. There are numerous ancient religions that have dying and resurrecting gods, for example. Lewis says these early myths point to and pave the way for the historical reality of Christ’s death and resurrection. I don’t know if the Multnomah chief’s daughter, known for her purity of heart, really leaped from the cliff to save her people from a plague or not, but for me the story points to the purity and sacrifice of the Son of God who did actually die to save his people from sin and sickness.

Multnomah Falls

Multnomah County and the City of Portland could, if they wished, combine governments into a consolidated city-county government. This provision has been in place since 1968 with the passage of Ballot Measure 5. While the idea has been considered several times, the two remain separate. Currently, the City of Portland is the last large city in the country to have a Commission form of government. There are six elected officials that make up city government – the mayor, four commissioners and the auditor. The City Council is the mayor and commissioners. Some, including Mayor Ted Wheeler, argue the city government structure needs to be updated, and currently a commission is reviewing the form of  government in Portland. The concern is that a council of only four commissioners is inadequate to represent the population of a city Portland’s size, and this inadequacy is responsible for a lot of inaction on the serious issues the city faces, such as homelessness.

The current City Council is made up of Mayor Ted Wheeler and Commissioners Carmen Rubio, Dan Ryan, Jo Ann Hardesty, and Mingus Mapps.

Multnomah County is divided into four districts and governed by a Board of Commissioners. The Chair, Deborah Kafoury, oversees the entire county. The four commissioners, each over a district, are Sharon Meieran, Shusheela Jayapal, Jessica Vega Pederson, and Lori Stegmann. Also elected is the Sheriff, Michael Reese, and the District Attorney, Mike Schmidt.

How do we pray for Multnomah County?

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulders and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Pray for the City Council of Portland, for their wisdom and the huge responsibility they carry.

Pray for the commission reviewing Portland’s governing structure.

Pray for the County Board, the Sheriff and the DA.

Pray for the two million visitors to Multnomah Falls, that they will find their way to redemption and healing through Jesus.