Friday, 2/28/14
I read the interesting story in yesterday’s newspaper about the 300 people who marched in a western city in Mexico protesting the recent arrest of the Mexican drug lord, “El Chapo.” Musicians played and uniformed high school students held up signs that read, “We love Chapo” and “We want Chapo free.” How can this be? Don’t these folks know that this man is the mastermind of hundreds of gruesome killings in Mexico, and has caused much misery in the US and around the world? This behavior should not really surprise anyone for, after all, this man has provided jobs and services for these folks that their own government has not. So then, do I believe these folks are doing right? Of course not! Criminals are criminals no matter how many good deeds they make and should pay for their crimes accordingly.
What was even more interesting to me, were the comments made by this story’s readers. One person wrote: “So what if you behead a few people here and there. Just keep giving the poor some money and all is fine.” Another person wrote: “And we want to let this ignorant folks into our country?” (note: I think it should have been these, not this.) Personally, I do not believe these people are ignorant, but if they are, ignorant folks are found in every country in the world, including the US. It seems to me, rather, that they have the “what can you do for me” mindset. We had a Spanish slang word for folks like these in the West Side. We called them convenencieros. You probably won’t find the word in a Spanish dictionary, but clearly it refers to those who follow after certain people mainly for their own convenience. Are they really that much different than those here in the US who vote for candidates they feel will do the most for them, even if they know they are crooked? This verse Paul wrote to the Romans comes to mind here: You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. (Romans 2:1)
In the end, these events are typical of the direction the entire world has taken. Nevertheless, our personal responsibilities and obligations as followers of Christ remain the same. And we must continue to serve and pray for others, as well as for ourselves.
Memory verse for the week: Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. (Philippians 3:12 NIV)
