Murder at church
One morning, I awoke from a meaningful dream.
In a rural area like these Ozark hills, a group of people ran a charitable cause. I think it was an orphanage or homeless shelter or something that you would be proud to be a part of. They were doing it for the right reasons.
The leader of this group was a guy who looked like a brick mason or very muscular construction worker. He seemed very kind and compassionate and his team followed him closely.
In my dream, a nice vehicle pulled up and a well-dressed man got out. He went up to the building and began talking with the broad-shouldered leader. I soon realized that this man was part of a corporation that financed the charitable work. They were talking about money. The executive dude decided during their conversation that they were going to pull back their funding.
The leader of the charity grew furious. They began arguing. The money man walked across the property back toward his vehicle, announcing that he would be talking to corporate and cut their funding immediately. Suddenly, the executive slipped on the rough terrain and hit his head on a rock.
Seeing the man was unconscious, the leader nearly shouted with happiness. “This is perfect,” he said. By now, other team members of the charity were coming out of the building to see what all the yelling was about. The leader tied up the guy from corporate and tied a long rope to his ankles.
“We have to get rid of him,” he said to his crew. I could tell by the looks on their faces that many of them knew better than to argue with him. Beneath that nice exterior, the big-shouldered charity leader could be cruel and calculating.
“If he gets back to corporate, they’ll cut our funding,” the man explained. “We can’t let that happen.” I was horrified.
A young guy on the team tried to argue back. “You can’t just get rid of him! That’s—that’s—we can’t just—”
His boss sneered at him. “We have to. You had better go along with me on this or you’re going in a hole with him.”
I woke up.
Instantly the meaning hit me.
Even people who live to help others might be willing to dispose of someone who disagreed with them. Even those who live to reach the fallen might rejoice over the fall of the one who wounded their pride. In God’s eyes, destroying another’s reputation or otherwise shredding them is murder.
As the music plays softly, let us all find a place to pray.
Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
I John 3:15