Crime

Jerry Reed: Gold Mines and Shafts

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jreedIf you know anything about a 4-wheel drive vehicle, you probably know it has a transfer case, and if you know a little something about psychology, you most likely understand the concept of transference. An incident occurred earlier in the week that caused me to think of both.

When I arrived at work on Tuesday, I found a new welcome sign painted on the side of the building.  It wasn’t a message of love, but one that expressed a pathetic dislike for the police in some rather blunt and rude language.

Why would a person use the FCC building as a canvas to proclaim his dislike for the El Dorado Police Department? The answer is transference.  Instead of addressing the anger he has for the police, to the police, he projected those feelings upon the church.

I know very little about the individual who wielded the can of spray paint, and I know nothing about his circumstances in life; but, as I said in another post: We may not be responsible for the circumstances of life, but we are responsible for the way we respond to them.

To understand a case of transference, it might help to have a basic understanding of a transfer case.  If you drive a 4-wheel drive vehicle, your transfer case transfers power from the transmission to the front and rear axles through the drive shafts.

In a sense, the transfer case acts as a brain that synchronizes the flow of power to the rear wheels and the front wheels through the drive shafts. I’m not sure how the brain of this vandal was working, but I do know the flow of power was misdirected.

I’m also pretty sure the future has few gold mines for this misfit, and I’m certain we’ve been left with the shaft to clean up.

As I think of this incident, I’m left with a question: Which is more difficult, cleaning brick and mortar or cleansing the thought process of the mind?

It’s been said that charisma is the transference of enthusiasm; what thoughts, feelings, and emotions do you project upon others?

April Fool’s Day

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Funny-April-Fools-Day-PhotosToday is the day of practical jokes and epic spoofs—it’s April Fool’s Day.  I learned early in life that the spoofer seems to get more joy out of this day than does the spoofed.

While under the influence of an older sister, poor little innocent me was persuaded to put salt in the sugar bowl and sugar in the salt shaker.

I snickered when I saw Mom slice a grapefruit in half, get a spoonful of salt out of the sugar bowl, and spread it on her grapefruit.  I laughed out loud when she took the first bite and quickly spit it back out.

Mom didn’t see the humor, and my laughter had implicated me as a guilty partner in this devious plan that was hatched in the mind of my older sister.  Shame on her for being such a poor influence on poor little innocent me.

The public has been duped on this day on more than one occasion:

  • On April 1, 1996, Virgin Cola issued a warning to consumers in the British newspapers. They announced that on the sell-by-date, a new technology would cause a reaction that would turn the can blue.  This spoof was a slap at Pepsi who had recently unveiled its newly designed bright blue cans.
  • Also on April 1, 1996, Taco Bell ran a full-page ad in six major newspapers to announce it had purchased the Liberty Bell and renamed it the Taco Liberty Bell. This spoof outraged patriotic citizens across the USA, and many of them called the National Historic Park in Philadelphia to express their anger. Nerves were calmed after Taco Bell revealed it was just a practical joke
  • On April 1, 1987, the Daily Mirror broke the startling news of a romance between Margaret Thatcher and Mikhail Gorbachev. To support the fabricated story, the newspaper had hired models that looked like Thatcher and Gorbachev.1987thatcher_400

God may have a sense of humor, but He doesn’t think the life of a fool is a laughing matter.  Since this is April Fool’s Day, I thought I would post a verse or two about fools from God’s perspective:

  • Psalm 14:1: The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
  • Proverbs 1:7: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of much learning. Fools hate wisdom and teaching.
  • Proverbs 13:20: He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the one who walks with fools will be destroyed.
  • Proverbs 14:16: A wise man fears God and turns away from what is sinful, but a fool is full of pride and is not careful.

I think this last verse is a fitting conclusion: He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be kept safe (Proverbs 28:26).

Hold-up Time

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When you hear someone speak of a “hold-up,” you probably think in terms of the chart below.

 

Wichita Annual Crimes

VIOLENT                  PROPERTY               TOTAL

2,871                               21,198                     24,069

Annual crimes per 1,000 residents

7.43                                 54.86                       62.29

From the statistics above, it’s obvious that some people will try to “hold-up” their way of life by beating you down.  There is, however, another meaning associated with the phrase:   “Hold-up” can also mean to support or to hold-up in prayer.

In Exodus 17, you can see the physical and spiritual aspects of this are revealed.   The Amalekites, a group of nomadic raiders, had attacked the people of Israel.  While Joshua engaged the enemy in a physical battle, Moses, along with Aaron and Hur, fought a spiritual war on a nearby hill:  “So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed.”  Moses eventually became so weary that he couldn’thold-up his hands, so Aaron and Hur responded by holding up his arms until the Israelites were able to finally defeat the Amalekites.

When Paul described a well-armed Christian, he also asked the Ephesians to “hold-up” his needs in prayer:

Therefore you must wear the whole armor of God that you may be able to resist evil in its day of power, and that even when you have fought to a standstill you may still stand your ground. Take your stand then with truth as your belt, righteousness your breastplate, the Gospel of peace firmly on your feet, salvation as your helmet and in your hand the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Above all be sure you take faith as your shield, for it can quench every burning missile the enemy hurls at you. Pray at all times with every kind of spiritual prayer, keeping alert and persistent as you pray for all Christ’s men and women.  And pray for me, too, that I may be able to speak freely here to make known the secret of that Gospel for which I am, so to speak, an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may speak out about it as my plain and obvious duty (Ephesians 6; J.B. Phillips).”

To quote Paul, I would ask that you “pray for me too.”

 

 

Note:  The resource for the crime stats is:  http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/ks/wichita/crime/

A Call to Action

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LEODue to recent events and what I perceive to be a heightened level of danger directed toward people who wear the uniform, I encourage you to pray for both our military personnel and Law Enforcement Officers (LEO).

Many faith communities will recognize and pray for the military on Sunday, November 9th to honor veterans in advance of Veteran’s Day (November 11th).

I ask you to join me and designate Sunday, November 16th as Pray 4 LEO Sunday. Feel free to copy the graphic on this page.

The theme verse I’ll use is I Timothy 2:1-4: “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”

Please pass this on to pastors you know, your church, and through your email and social media (Facebook, etc.).

“. . . that we my live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness . . .” and for the safety of those who protect us.