It's a small world, for snake, preachers and football players--not to mention mice.

I write from tomorrow, from a dot of land on the far side of the Pacific, Guam.  I was just IMing with my lovely wife.  She had been to a local business--local on the yesterday side of the world--to pay a bill.  The businessman was reading a story about Guam. 

WARNING:  

If you are a mouse or snake lover, or a Tylenol taker you might not want to read this story.

  

Globe-trotting snake causes major grief.

Authorities work hard to use a rodent-wrapped headache cure to cancel herpetological frequent-flyer plan.

News reaches small town merchant, in a community whereMicronesia is, to say the least, not well known.  

Wife and husband chat about it on two sides of the globe.

Amazing!

In between reading about pain-killer laden mice falling from the sky, which hopefully will become the last meal of a bunch of really over-achieving snakes, I read about the problems of a really good guy.  There are a number of reasons I like Tim Tebow, and I feel badly that he has gotten himself into an ugly situation.  You can read the story all over the web.  (This one by Al Mohler is obviously slanted, but is slanted in a profitable direction.)  

The likable quarterback agreed to speak at First Baptist Church in Dallas Texas.  The pastor there has said some controversial things.  Many of us would put most of his statements under the heading of "Right, but couldn't you have said it a bit more kindly?"  Now Tebow is being branded with all the ills--real and imagined--of this church and pastor.  If he intentionally grounds the ball, which he did, one side will boo.  If he tucks the ball and runs for the goal-line, the other side will offer the Bronx Cheer.   Welcome to another version of the big leagues. One where three-hundred pound defensive linemen would be considered child's-play.  

 

"What," you might ask, and I'll be glad if you do, "do tree-dwelling, night-hunting snakes have to do with young, Christian, professional athletes?"

 

Both live in a small--very small--world.  Guys who sell refrigerators read about snakes and mice thousands of miles away.  Preachers, especially those who stand before thousands, say nothing in secret.  Usually those of us who speak from the Word of God, desire that what we say be less secret, but when we blow it--and we will--the consequences may be much more widespread than a few years ago.  And, what we say makes it easier or harder for the likes of Tim Tebow to stand up and talk about the love of God.

 

I figure the only thing a brown tree snake thinks about is that mouse, that is standing awfully still.  (I hope its last thought is, "Wow! that headache is finally gone.)  The rest of us, though, need to remember that we live in a world affected by an ancient serpent, who still prowls in the dark.  Let's join in prayer.

 

   "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer." (Psalm 19:14, NASB95)  

 

 It's STTA. 

 

(Here is something I wrote about Tim Tebow, back when he was on the field instead of on the bench.)