Glitter and Greed

A former NASA engineer was fed up. Too many packages have been taken from his porch. A growing problem with Amazon and UPS and other delivery services is the porch having of packages left without signature. Some companies are going so far as to send pictures of deliveries being made to show the packages were delivered.

So, the engineer spent six months designing a way to spoil the one who took the spoils. He designed a box, put four phones (with gps on) in the box and placed them so their cameras would be recording constantly from four different angles. He then designed a switch to flip once the box was opened that would spray some ultra fine, rainbow colored glitter all over the getaway car, room, or den of thieves. The glitter would spray quickly and in all directions. But no, that wasn’t all. He placed a tiny canister of gas that would release of gas that, well, smelled like flatulence.

My first thought is this guy has too much time on his hands. Next thought is he has a great sense of humor. But in reality, it makes us ponder how we should respond.

Now he didn’t hurt anyone. It wasn’t a violent act. And it was only done to those that acted against his well being, not a random person being punked. But is it appropriate?

What is a good response for Christians in this type of situation?

I would hope that a system could be devised that would eliminate the scenarios that allowed porch nabbing. I would hope that people would help each other and eliminate any need to steal. And I would hope that the hearts of men would have such a respect for each other that no one would even desire to take what isn’t theirs. But we live in a broken world.

What I do know is that Christmas is a reminder that God has devised a way to fix all of this. And that way came in the form of a little child … that way grew to show us how to love … that way went to the cross to pay the penalty for all of us who do mess up (and that is all of us) … and that way will return again to complete the work and usher in a world with no more brokenness. And that is exciting.

What a great reminder of what Christmas impacts for all of eternity.

Merry Christmas

See the video of the NASA engineer here …