Money, So They Say...

is the root of all evil, today...

well, mr. waters quoted the bible wrong....

money isn't the problem...loving money is the problem.

i remember a lunar eclipse when i was in college. it was early in the evening and there were a few dozen students outside the student center waiting for it to start. just as it was beginning, a friend of mine came out of the student center, stood at the top of the stairs, raised his hands in the air and said in a theatrically eerie voice "people, listen to me... i will make the moon disappear unless you give me all of your money"...it was quite comical.

this story is kind of like that...only less comical

on one of christopher columbus' later journeys to the new world his crew was in harbor in jamaica...the ship had a worm problem and was in danger of sinking. they were there for a year or so...

all that time they were living off the indians...and, to be honest, they were taking advantage of them. the indians had had enough of it and started to rebel a bit. they stopped supplying the crew's needs and (i would guess) maybe even began make some sort of threats...

CC knew he was in trouble...without the indian's help his crew would never last until a new ship arrived...it could be days, or weeks or (probably) months.

but CC was a smart cat. like all sailing captains, he was familar with the seaman's almanac...it mapped out various solar and lunar events and was very precise. he knew that in 2 days there was going to be a lunar eclipse and scheduled a meeting with the indian chief for just prior to it.

he told the chief that his (CC's) god was very displeased with the indians bc they stopped helping him. and bc he was so angry, god was going to make the moon disappear! i'm sure the chief scoffed at the idea...but CC gave him the exact time...

and...

then...

it...

happened...

the moon disappeared. gone. the indians were in a fright. what could be done? what could they do? what would happen next?

the chief came to CC and asked him to implore his god to have mercy on them. CC retired to his study to do so and watching the clock...came back out just b4 the moon began to return...assuring the indians that, if they continued to provide for CC's crew, god would have mercy on them.

i'm a capitalize God kind of guy. in these posts and in email...i rarely capitalize anything, even my own name. but i always capitalize God...or Jesus...or He or Him...i think it's right to. i don't neccesarily think you have to...but i like to.

but when i wrote about columbus' disappearing moon trick...i couldn't use capitals...i don't know if CC was a christian...he may have been in the church...but i don't know if he was a follower of Jesus...i've heard the stories that he was... but, in this situation, his god was money...or himself

and this thing here...what he did...was wrong. it was out right deception. it was brilliant. it's even pretty funny...but it was wrong.

and it makes me think of all the wrong that's been done by christians...especially when it's done "for the cause of Christ"...and it's flat out heartbreaking.

i don't think twice when someone rejects what i say to them as i try to tell them about Jesus...i can't blame them.

we're guilty.

God help us to own our corporate sin...all the things the Church has done thru the centuries that are so far out of His character that (if it weren't so terrible) it is sad sad sad...

and then help us to own our personal sin...all the things we've done out of His character...all the grudges we held...all the gossip we spewed...all the lies we smiled thru...

and then, maybe, we might have some standing to tell them about God's love.