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The darker side of Ferris wheels, football and flying

Our very human predisposition to (gulp!) sin

Recently, at a local fair, I stood in line waiting to get tickets for the Ferris wheel.

The fair was packed, every line was moving at a snails pace, and my kids anxiety toride that behemoth steel structure seemed to push my patience to the edge.

Just then, about 8 bodies in front of me, near the ticket window, a lanky woman

(with child in tow) committed the unpardonable sin that governs queues, files and linear

formations. (Sec. 208b). She simply steppedright into our line! It was a shameless

behavioral display that shaved off about 10 minutes of her waiting time at the expense of

common human decency

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In September, during the first game of the football season, the New England

Patriots were caught videotaping the opposing coaches signals, in violation of NFL

rules. For their misdeeds, they were heavily penalized and received the scorn of the

nation as well as a barrage of critical commentary from the leagues coaches andplayers.

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Shortly after my experience at the fair, I was at the airport in Asuncin saying

goodbye to my mother who had come to visit me from the United States. As I was filling

out an immigration form for her, I noticed a commotion about 30 feet behind me. There

was a quick struggle, some loud gasps, and then like something out of an episode of 24,

two men quickly appeared, one brandishing a small machine gun, the other waving a

bright black handgun.

People close by immediately dove to the ground, and like the waves created when

a rock hits the pond, others went down in cascading succession, away from the epicenter

of the action. I too hit the floor waiting for that distinctive crack that only a firearm canmake.

It was over before it started, and later that day we were informed that five

assailants had overpowered the directors of a local exchange house (and their four

guards) and had sped away with over a million dollars in stolen cash. (As to why

someone walks around with that kind of money, given our electronic age, is a question

that shall remain for another time)

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When I reflect back on all these incidences, what strikes me as pertinent is our

very human proclivity to misbehave, to run roughshod over concepts like justice and

fairness, and to blatantly disregard the moral, ethical and civil constructs of a decent

society. (For Petes sake!! What kind of civilian rambles about an airport carrying an Uziin his trench coat?!!!)

What is it that truly ails us?

There are of course several theories as to why people behave indecently, unfairly,

or even criminally. Irrationality springs from our subconscious impulses some argue, a

result of pooping and breastfeeding stages that went horribly awry.

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Others blame the environment or poor social upbringing for the ills that befall a

man. Given the right motivation and the right conditions all of us have the potential to

become decent human beings.

Oh really? Given the right conditions, these same pillars of decency wouldnt

think twice about cheating on their taxes, their wives or their opponents, or better yet,

joining the ranks of those airport thieves by looting and stealing from grocery,department and appliance stores when the rule of law breaks down and there is no chance

of getting caught. (See the Rodney King aftermath)

Oh nothe problem of our behavior is much more complex and sinister than our

unknown impulses or environmental forces. This is because the problem is inside of us,

woven into the very fabric of our nature. We are born with a sinful disposition, and no

amount of right conditioning, or right motivation, or even right breastfeeding is going to

rid us of our tendency to do what is wrong.

And therein lies the key, for if you believe that having a decent upbringing, or

living in a decent neighborhood, or having a decent education will invariably nurture us

into being decent human beings, then we are merely dressing up the external wound

instead of killing off the internal disease. And we will continue to be shocked by howmany dastardly deeds good and honest people have the propensity to commit.

The source of the problem determines the solution

There is a sure fire solution to this issue provided by the God who created us, and

that is to work from the inside out, from the root of the problem to the external behavior.

But this requires an act of faith. It requires a turning over of our lives not only to God,

but to the son who took upon himself every line cutting, cheating, stealing, unfair thought

or behavior Ive ever committed or will ever commit and nailing it to the cross. Its the

ultimate act of surrender, and requires the gut-wrenching self-honesty to admit that given

a choice, I will always naturally opt to do what is wrong vs. what is right.

Were the term born again not so overused in religious and cultural circles, itwould accurately describe what occurs when God takes up residence in our heart. He

gives us a clean start, the power to choose right, the mind of Christ, a community to

hold us accountable, THE book of life, and the sustaining presence of his Spirit to guide

us.

Now, as to why with this incredible spiritual arsenal and the Spirit of God

residing in us, Christians still behave like little devils, the only thing I can say is dont

blame it on God. The atrocities and crimes committed in his name throughout the

centuries and the continued moral failures of those who subscribe to the Christian faith

only confirm our abuse of the new spiritual life we have been given. It does not

invalidate what God has set out to do. In addition, even God would describe the

transformation that must take place in us as a process, one that usually lasts a lifetime.One of the things that God does, in the spiritual exchange that takes place when

we put our trust in him, is to begin to change us from the inside out, where the problem of

behavior resides. He sets us on the right path and gives us a new object to which we can

direct our previously drifting affections and worship: that is, himself. It has often been

said that we become that which we worship. Thus, with this newfound focus, it is Gods

intention that over time, we should be molded or changed into the image of the only

perfect person to ever walk the earth, his son Jesus.

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All of us know instinctively, whether we subscribe to a religion or not, that Jesus

is the type of person that would never cut in line, never steal an opposing teams signals,

or ever think to rob someone elses possessions. Thus in the end, what is most need to

reform our very erring nature is not a shrink or a social worker or a motivational coach

but rather a heart surgeon. And that is a task in which God is truly an expert!