I am too trusting.
Twice in the last two weeks I have been the victim of burglary. Both times it was my parked car at home during the wee hours of the night.
This is how old I am; I remember leaving my front door open at night with just the screen door closed. The main reason was air flow as most of the homes in my area had evaporative cooling and, realistically, there was little threat of invasion.
Now I am faced with rising crime and security issues.
Regarding theft, it is of interest that stealing made the list of “Thou shalt nots” in the bible.
As victimized as I feel, I am interested in the motives for theft. What is it about a person or persons that possesses them to steal?
Some obvious reasons are mental health issues, financial difficulties, peer pressure, thrill seeking, getting even, and so forth.
Of all these, it seems there exists a detachment from moral and ethical standards. In a twisted form, those who steal feel justified in doing so for a perceived oppression or slight or some other axe they wish to grind.
So, I imagine myself in the thief’s shoes cruising through our neighborhoods and stopping to check for open doors. The hope of scoring something big drives my motivation.
With no moral compass to guide me, a thrill sets in. I can take what I want from whomever I want. I can profit while destroying something of value to another. What a game this is! And such little risk in a community that is as trusting as ours.
But now I imagine that I am caught and must face those from whom I have victimized. Do I feel shame or am I defiant? Perhaps my attitude is that my freedom will now be stolen from me.
What punishment is appropriate for the thief?
Biblically, a thief must work to restore or reconcile accounts. Some form of retribution is in order. Whether it is manual labor or financial recompense, the thief now has a debt to be paid.
Stipulating that these remedies may work, the thief must morally understand, too, the connection of his or her actions and the alignment that such conduct portends.
Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” In this case, Jesus is referring to the spiritual enemy of all that is good.
Thus, a thief, by definition, is a destroyer. It is not only the value of possessions, but the value of communal trust, dignity, and respect.
And like a scarlet letter, the thief will wear his shame for decades to come.
I hope my perpetrators get caught. And while the material things they have stolen may be replaced, it will take some time for the thief to regain my trust.
All of us are diminished, destroyed, and demoralized, by the thief.
His actions kill the spirit of goodness and cause us to distrust our societal guardrails.
I now must rethink my trusting nature.
Kent Simmons is the pastor of Canyon Community Church in Kingman, AZ.
