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A family is split up because of immigration laws.  Another couple has had marital problems for years, and finally decides to put the skids to the whole thing.  A young man ends up in prison because he murdered someone.  A rich man creates a scheme to defraud millions of dollars from unsuspecting folk.  A woman gets into a car wreck and kills her baby, because she was in a hurry to get to a store sale, the day after Christmas.  A child dies from lack of love.  An old man puts the gun to his head and pulls the trigger for that same lack of love.

As I write those things, I realize I could go on for months describing horrible ends to things full of potential.  What’s the cause?  Why so much suffering and tragedy in this world?  And as I ponder the actual reasoning behind all this, I am forced to do one thing: I turn my hand and  point my finger at me.

That’s the central focus, me.  It’s my fault that hundreds of people have suffered in this life.  I’ve done things, said things, I’ve had an attitude about things that caused me to refrain from doing something.  And on it goes.  While most people will hunt for the pivotal place where life went bad, the answer is going to be an absolute, “It’s me.  I did it.  I’m the scoundrel who caused all this chaos and horror in the lives of the people around me.”

It would be easy to say I was a victim of training by my parents, peers, brothers and sisters, society, marketing, temptation, and the
like.  But in the end, I did my share of damage to the world.  And if you think you’re ok because you didn’t do very many bad things, so you’re off the hook, consider this.

A boy grows up in a dysfunctional home.  By some curious twist of what people refer to as fate, he gets a clue and becomes a doctor.  None of the others in his family really amounted to much.  But this guy is just the icing on the cake.  On his way up the ladder (while still in grade school) he has left a wake of ruined lives.  How?  Because, in the third grade, he decided to join in with 5 other boys to make fun of the weakest among the students.  “Well, the boy deserved it.  He wasn’t well dressed at all.  He stunk of cat dung.  He acted like he didn’t like us.  When he talked he stuttered.  And there’s a whole lot more reasons why we brought trouble to him every day.”

But this trouble infested young lad turned 22.  And for all those years he didn’t forget the treatment in the third grade.  Harder and harder became his heart.  Till one day he took a gun and killed his parents, sisters, a neighbor, and the three dogs in the back yard.  Now he sits in prison
causing all kinds of trouble for everyone else.

You say it’s not the doctor’s fault?  Then who do you blame?  You say the doctor made up for his sins, almost without knowing it.  Because he
became a doctor and now helps gunshot victims.  Nonsense!  He’s a doctor because it’s a way to make money and help a few people.
And in the end, the doctor has a fairly good life.  He’s got a family of his own now.  His kids are growing up in a pretty good house.  His wife is pretty and popular.  They do a lot of good things with their time and money.  And hey!  They even go to church on Sunday.  But in the wake of getting there, look what he helped to cause.

I am just like the doctor.  What did I know of what happened as I floated through this world?  I hated too.  I’ve caused tears.  I’ve spoken countless words of hatred.  I’ve killed animals on the road with my car.  And because of that, I’ve left a child to cry over his dear pet.  I’ve left a track record behind me.  And though I could count a thousand things I’ve done that would be labeled bad, there are 100 thousand things I caused that I’ll never know about.  This is the nature of what we call “SIN”.

Sin is “missing the mark”.  It’s not a bull’s-eye.  It’s a total lack of “right”.   And in the end, if you’re honest, you’re the one at fault!   What’s the traditional thingy to state here?  Don’t we blame Satan for being such a dolt?  Yet, where were you on the night that boy was killed in the street?  You knew him.  And you know you had interactions with him from time to time.  Were you willing to help?  Did you even know he needed help?  Did you ask?  Or were you too busy with your ownlife to notice his needle marks.  Bottom line, did you even feel a twinge of “Hey, I think I should do or say something to help this guy”.  This is a sin of ignorance.  But what was the overall impact of your lack?  He’s dead.  And you’re partially to blame.

That last paragraph was about not doing something you might not have known you even needed to do.  But what about what you did know to do and refused?  You make up excuses, but you’re to blame none the less.

This whole article has to do with blame.  And why would I bother to point any fingers at people?  Because while I was creating this article, I was pondering my own epitaph.  And I wondered what would be true to say about me on a tiny piece of
rock, or in my case, Styrofoam (Or a bar of soap.  Or a piece of toilet paper. Regardless, obviously it will be something “less”.).  In the end, I am forced to admit it would be correct to carve: “HE DID IT!”

In the end we are all totally helpless and equally to blame for all the stuff in this world.  Is there a victim?  Not in the sense that folks think, “Ah, I’m a victim!”.  No matter who you are, you’ve done a few things yourself.  No one is innocent of the blood of another.  No one is innocent of causing horrible harm to others.  There is no one who is innocent!  Not even one of us!

“But I didn’t know I did anything wrong!  I wasn’t aware that he’s in jail now!  And you have no right to blemish my dreams with guilt of such things!”  Oh yea I have, not only, a right.  I have an obligation to speak about these things.  Sin must be pointed out if anyone is going to become saved by Jesus.  If you think you’re squeaky clean, you’re fooling yourself.  Therefore, by definition, we could label you a fool.  The Bible says, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  There is no one righteous, no not one”.  And every one of us will hang (or worse) when we are presented to the Most High God.  Give it some thought.

There are many who would say (regarding the Doctor), “He’s a Doctor now, for God’s sake!  He’s helping thousands in his life time!  You’re
picking at straws to make us look bad.  You’re likely just a frustrated old man who doesn’t have anything to his honor or name.”  Is the man in prison one of his patients?  Does he even know that his actions caused such a terrible outcome?  On the way up, did he ponder that series of actions?  And when he laughed at his wedding, and kissed his beautiful bride, did he remember the plight of those he left in his
wake?   Blame is real.  God doesn’t forget or excuse man.  Those things are there and they will be held against our account.  This is the reason
for Jesus.  You are not blameless!  You are directly to blame.  And you will be held accountable for every idle word you’ve spoken.  Bottom line,
without Jesus, you stand in direct contempt of the court of the Most High God.

While you’re pondering this, look into the saying, “They washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb”. Some who are schooled in words will read this and tear it apart for being incorrect. Kind of like that English teacher we tend to blame for our failings in language.  I look into my heart and consider their possible attacks.  Hmmmmmm I ponder.  “I don’t care”.  I made a point and it wasn’t lost because I don’t know how to write.  And, excuse me, your hand turns toward your own face.  And isn’t blaming and accusing others part and parcel of our lot in sin?  You got the point.  What cha gonna do with it?  Besides, my non-caring attitude toward your “Great and Useless education” helps both you and I.  I don’t blame you, so you’re free from this possible sin.  And you don’t know that such an accusation won’t lead me to prison and the like.  Don’t think so highly of yourself.

And just as an aside, though you might not have guesses.  I don’t have much respect for man’s intellect or vast educations.  All I can see it having done over the ages is cause more trouble than it’s worth.  And it doesn’t address the very fundamental problem, SIN (something that any fool with a pen can speak about.  And who best to describe the pattern the spilled milk makes but the one who did it?).  You say, “Yeah!  But you should at least try to learn how to write”.  And what do you think my response should be?  “Add that to my list
of sins”.

By His Grace.

P. S. No person was injured or defamed by the typing of the letters in this document.  No blood was spilt from the ends of my fingers.  And my eyes were not blinded by the glare of the screen.