Nothing Under The Sun

 The phone rings on a Tuesday morning:

Caller: “Hey Grandma, it’s your grandson.”

Mom: Emphatically, “Which one?”

Caller: *hangs up*

 

The phone rings on a  Friday evening:

Caller: “Hey Grandpa, it’s your grandson.”

Dad: Overly enthusiastic, “Well hey! How are you? What’s going on?”

Caller: *hangs up*

 

The first time it happened, my dad was confused. He engaged the conversation for a moment but soon realized that the call wasn’t from one of his grandchildren. I don’t remember how the conversation ended but it didn’t end in my dad giving the caller money—thankfully.

 

I can’t imagine the inner workings of persons who prey on the elderly. Who wants to do that? Who wants to trick older people, often lonely and overlooked, often widows and widowers, out of their hard-earned money? Who thinks that this action is at all okay? And who thinks that it is appropriate to use other human beings for personal pleasure and gain?

 

I know that it’s persons from various cultures and backgrounds. I know that it’s scammers and traffickers and crooked businesspersons. I know that it’s even religious persons on religious television convincing viewers to send money for missions that are self-serving.

 

But what I don’t know is how so many persons can justify actions that are against common human decency—not to mention the religious ideals that I, personally, try to uphold. I genuinely cannot fathom a belief system that celebrates thievery and trafficking. It seems so sad to me—chasing money over embracing human lives. And it makes me wonder what I can do to stop it. Can I do anything?

 

I try to teach good morals and values. I try to live by the motto “Love God. Love People. Do the Work.” I try to buy fair trade products. I try to “reduce, reuse, and recycle.” I pray. I give. I sing. I write. But then I watch my parents receive phone calls that try to take advantage of them, and I hear young men’s voices hopeful of a score, and I wonder where in the world we’ve gone so wrong…or maybe, what’s worse, I wonder why in the world we haven’t gone more right.

 

Ecclesiastes tells us that nothing is new under the sun. The issues we deal with now may have the face of young men calling Grandma and Grandpa, but exploitation of the poor, elderly, and widows is nothing new. Scripture tells us that much.

 

And so…I wonder…what’s the point?

 

I wonder…how do I find hope and encouragement in a dark, dark world—a world not much different than the world that’s come before?

 

I know the answer is supposed to be Jesus. And I do believe in the light of Jesus. But even Jesus’s name is used to harm people—and they succeed. Where is God in that? Is God weeping, too?

 

Dear God: Sometimes I get angry. Sometimes I get confused. Sometimes I wonder where you are outside of your beautiful creation that we are destroying and outside of the hands and feet of those who are genuinely trying to serve you. People are trying to force You on others but turning others away from You instead. People are using your name in vain. Evil is rampant. Darkness is palpable. Nothing is new under the sun. And yet I still seek You. I don’t know what else to do. Amen.