It's 2:00 AM - Do You Know Where Your Heart Is?

E-Mail From Jeff Daniel:

God compares himself to LIGHT, and evil to DARKNESS. We talk a lot about possessing a biblical worldview, so have you ever looked at our world in relation to that statement about light vs. darkness? How many crimes happen in the daytime vs darkness? How much more sinister activity goes on in the dark? We frequently use the “dark alley” as a metaphor for things we’re afraid of. We put up “night lights” in the hall because our children are afraid of the dark. We install those big “dusk to dawn” lights in our yards to fend off burglars and such. When the killer is stalking it’s prey, it used the cover of shadows. Have you ever noticed that those neighborhood cats never fight and scream on your deck during the day???? J How come we don’t talk about “things that go bump in the day”?

I got to thinking about this because earlier this week a football player from one of our state teams was assaulted while out in town at 2:00 AM. Of course my immediate response wasn’t “is he okay”, but rather “if he hadn’t been out at 2 AM it wouldn’t have happened”. Apparently several other people felt that way too, and expressed it on several media outlets. I was frustrated to read all the comments on the boards criticizing those who questioned why that player was out in town at 2:00 AM. Here are some of the comments:
1. It’s none of your business. (I always love that one the best!!! Translated: You’re right, but I’m not changing.)
2. He might have been out getting something to eat. (Yeah right!)
3. What’s wrong with being out at 2 AM?
4. He’s 21 years old—that’s what 21 year olds do—have fun! (Really? Who’s standard is that? Oh, that’s right, the world’s. Besides, we all know how fun it is to get ‘ganked’ and sent to the hospital at 2AM)

I’ll bet he wasn’t out attending a Bible study!!!!! I get so sick and tired of this culture of ours that says it’s off limits to pass judgment. Listen people, if it looks like a horse, smells like a horse, walks like a horse, and acts like a horse, for all intents and purposes it’s a horse! That’s not called “judging”, it’s called stating the obvious. Kind of like the old joke about airport screeners—when 100% of the terrorism is done by 18-40 year Iranian men, then checking 18-40yr old Iranian men is not profiling—it’s the odds! I can tell you this—usually where there’s smoke there’s fire. You won’t see me in the headlines getting assaulted at 2AM—I’ll be in the bed. People want to live like hell, but not be associated with the devil. This is why it’s so critical to guard your witness. I don’t think it’s too far fetched to say that we have NO business being out and about during late night hours. Have you ever watched “late night TV”? Was there anything Godly on? I can tell you this—when I’m up at 3:00 in the morning getting ready to go hunting, all the movie channels have on “adult movies”, there are 5 stations airing a “Girls Gone Wild” infomercial, reruns of COPS (which by the way shows everybody being arrested at night), Jerry Springer, Howard Stern, a “male enhancement” infomercial hosted by “adult movie” stars, and on and on… And although it’s not the crux of this email, there are indirect consequences associated with those who love the late night. I do not think this is scripture (although each point can be scripturally backed), but an old saying goes “early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise”. Show me a person who stays up all night, sleeps till mid-day, and I’ll show you a person with problems. I’m not saying they are sick, poor, or dumb—but I could grocery list lots of other issues: (I’ve always been told that one of the surest indications of depression is if they sleep very late. I don’t know, but I have known two people in my life that I believe sincerely suffered from depression-like problems—both of them would sleep till early afternoon hours on weekends. One of them is dead today.) Those people are undependable, often have job problems, relationship problems, etc. (Proverbs 4:16; 6:6-11)

But back to my point…
God says the darkness hates the light. Get a mental picture of this: Someone is in a dark room, and you turn on a flashlight and shine it at them. What is their response?—usually an angry “get that light out of my face”. God says the light reveals the dirty deeds done in darkness. You see, from my biblical worldview, that’s how I see all those people who responded critically to those who questioned the late-night activity. I see them like hissing demons that were just shown a picture of the cross (darkness confronted by light). Someone shown a light in their face and they hated it! This world is at enmity with God.

Jeff