ANALYSIS

This is a tale of two Portlands – one where the love of God is on display, and another where cruel behavior was allowed to reign.

Over the weekend, evangelist Franklin Graham posted a photo to his Facebook page showing a huge crowd that gathered outside of Portland, Oregon to hear the Gospel preached at one of Graham's outdoor events.

"Tonight over 12,000 people filled the Clackamas County Fairgrounds outside Portland to pray and to hear the Gospel. It was a great evening. We prayed for their elected leaders, including Oregon Governor Kate Brown, and for our nation. I believe in the power of prayer!" Graham wrote.

"We also had some really great music by The Afters and by Dennis and Danny Agajanian. I told those who came that God loves them and is offering them forgiveness and salvation if they would repent of their sins and accept His Son, Jesus Christ by faith. We rejoice that many made that decision tonight."

In addition, the evangelist posted 22 photos from the event.

In less than 24 hours, Graham's post had received more than 2,700 shares and had been viewed more than 20,000 times.

Unfortunately, that great Christian spirit is not alive everywhere in The City of Roses.

Ted Wheeler, the Democratic mayor of Portland, let anarchy reign for 38 days in his city and he blessed it. In addition, the Portland Police did nothing to stop it.

The Wall Street Journal reports that for more than five weeks, as many as 200 people occupied a site behind the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office. The group was there to harass employees, block exits and refuse entry to the building, and they even stopped traffic by lying in the street.

Some members of the group followed several employees to confront them at home, not only with words but with signs and banners accusing them of being a part of the "Gestapo," "Nazis" and even "white supremacists."

They went so far as posting some of the federal workers' private information online. Many of the workers say the harassment hasn't stopped.

So where were the officers from the Portland Police Department when all this was happening? They were ordered to stay away by Wheeler, who also serves as police commissioner.

"I do not want the @PortlandPolice to be engaged or sucked into a conflict, particularly from a federal agency that I believe is on the wrong track," he tweeted. "If ICE is looking for a bailout from this mayor, they are looking in the wrong place."

I drove by the demonstration yesterday, it seemed to be very peaceful and I was pleased to see that. I want to be very clear I do not want the @PortlandPolice to be engaged or sucked into a conflict, particularly from a federal agency that I believe is on the wrong track (2/4) — Ted Wheeler (@tedwheeler) June 20, 2018

The federal workers were finally rescued by a federal police team mobilized from out of state on June 28.

The same day Wheeler again pledged not to intervene. In a statement, he whitewashed the lawless behavior: "I join those outraged by ICE actions separating parents from their children, and support peaceful protest to give voice to our collective moral conscience," according to The Wall Street Journal.

Collective moral conscience? Where was that when local residents repeatedly called police after witnessing the mob's behavior, thugs wearing black masks on street patrols, the harassment, and attacks against residents and a store owner?

Peter Simpson, a public information officer with the Portland Police Bureau, explained that "at the mayor's direction, PPB involvement was very limited" until July 25.

Now taxpayers will pay for the clean up of the mob's camp and the local residents are scared, expecting the mob to return.

All in all, it's quite a stark comparison of the truly peaceful power of the Gospel versus the tyranny of human anger.