July 27, 2009

• Dark Schemes Series

  In the Bible, Paul tosses in an interesting comment in the middle of his letter to the Corinthians. He says "...in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes."
  
  Now, I know that some of my readers don't believe in Satan. I do believe that there are evil supernatural forces in the world. I don't believe a demon hides behind every event, but I do believe that sometimes, the only explanation for unusual events is a supernatural evil force. Try to see if you'll still get something out of the series, though.
  
  I always thought this verse was odd. "Schemes?" What, the devil runs a 3-4 defense with Cover 2 secondary? It sounds so melodramatic. Really, Paul, "schemes?" There's nothing that complex about a desire to steal at Wal-Mart. Why use those words?

  But this year, I really do feel that I've run into a lot of "schemes." By schemes, I mean events and people that seemed harmless at first, but all of a sudden revealed immoral possibilities that were harmful. I don't wish to inspire paranoia in my readers. But I do believe that too often, we forget that evil can be complex and deep-rooted. Underestimating our own desires or the power of the devil (or, if it better sits with you, fate or circumstance) can not only be foolish, it can be fatal. I'll be describing three schemes that I have noticed over the years. They are the tame deer, the free lunch, and the stringed present. We'll see how this goes, but I haven't tested my audience for a while.
  

  • 5:01 pm
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