Last week, Bob and and I were out shopping where there was a popular western- wear store – boots, great jeans, fringe jackets – they have the whole kit & caboodle! We love all things western so we took the time to pop in and look around. We ended up purchasing a small item and while checking out, my husband struck up a casual conversation with the cashier.
He asked her how business was doing- she replied that it was slow. Not surprising with our current economy. He then asked her if they had a lot of shoplifting. Her reply was stunning. “Yes – and thanks to our government we’re not allowed to confront people stealing from our store – people come in now and just walk out with armloads of merchandise.”
Apparently, folks can steal up to $950 worth of goods and it’s no longer a felony but only a misdemeanor. Shoplifting – along with grand theft, receiving stolen property, forgery, & fraud, not exceeding $950, are all just a slap on the wrist.
Unfortunately, lawlessness abounds these days and people are acting without regard to the law. We’re advised by Paul in Romans 13 to “obey the government” — obey the laws of the land. What exactly does he mean? Well – under ‘normal’ circumstances, governments serve God’s purposes by enforcing good & fair laws – they are to hinder and/or punish bad behavior.
In the early church it was actually quite easy for a Christian to find themselves at odds with the laws. In many towns, in order to do business in public markets – where one purchased food & textiles – a sacrifice to a particular pagan deity had to be made. This was usually a small pinch of incense at the public altar. For Christians, such an act was unthinkable – so working through the laws was tricky for them.
While we’re not living back in Roman times, we do live in a period where our Christian morals & ethics are severely challenged! What do we do when we’re forced to decide between the laws of men and the laws of God? And what do we do when we feel justice is no longer on the table? Proverbs 28:4 rightly notes: ”Those who forsake the law praise the wicked.” We are seeing this in spades these days!
Isaiah 10 (written 700 B.C.), gives this warning: “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who mandate wickedness and legalize oppression and who withhold justice from the oppressed.” Ouch! I would sure hate to be on the “woe” side of God!!
But the force of evil is very real, and because it’s a reality, we are now seeing evil becoming bold & proud. Proverbs 29:2 reminds us: “When the godly are in authority the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in power, they groan.” Personally, I believe the wicked are so deluded & corrupt, they are ignorant of what justice is — truth, decency, & integrity, etc.
There’s a great story out concerning Al Capone. During the 1920’s, many people viewed Capone as a respected citizen – a sort of Robin Hood. Believe it or not, Capone made the list of “outstanding personages of the world” along with George Bernard Shaw, Mahatma Gandhi, and Albert Einstein.
Capone was often saluted by fans while attending football games, but come 1931, he as booed out of the stands and left in humiliation. After six years as mob boss in Chicago, Capone was convicted of income tax evasion and ended up in Alcatraz. Eight years later he was released from prison, suffering from the advanced stages of syphilis. He lived as a recluse dying in 1947.
Interestingly, during his time at Alcatraz, Capone worked in the prison shoe shop. Al told his cellmate one evening, “I’m supposed to be a big shot and I’ve wound up in the shoe shop – what kind of a screwed-up, lousy world is this?” Capone was clueless! Why? Back to Proverbs 28 – “Evil people don’t understand justice…” Another translation reads: “Justice makes no sense to the evil-minded.”
Bingo! That was Capone and that’s a segment of our society today! So we take a stand. As Desmond Tutu noted: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor! If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.”
Bob and Susan Beckett pastor The Dwelling Place City Church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet, CA. For more information, you may contact them at DPcitychurch.org
