A jar was found in one of the kitchen cabinets of our team house. It was first discovered by the women, but soon found itself in the hands of the men. At first glance it appears to be a candle, but on closer inspection one finds that it is simply a clear jar with a purple substance inside. It’s a beautiful substance; a liquid that is the most royal of purples. I admit I had no idea that the jar existed until I saw it in the hands of Rodney one fateful night. I didn’t take too much notice of it initially. It wasn’t until I was in the kitchen, dispatching a cockroach that I became familiar with it.
I heard the sound of hurried footsteps on the tiled floor, nearing ever closer. I turned to look at the doorway into the kitchen to see Paul Duesing leap over the step down, and almost fly to the sink. “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!” said Paul, as if he had seen a ghost.
“What is it?” I asked.
“I got something horrible on my hands,” he said.
“What?”
“I don’t know, something horrible.”
It turns out Rodney had opened the jar and taken a whiff. He then proceeded to encourage Paul to feast his nasal cavities on the liquid inside. Apparently it was horrific, and poor Paul had gotten some of it on his hands. When I returned to the room Rodney pulled the jar off the shelf that had become it’s temporary home and held it out to me. “Dude, take a whiff,” he said.
“No way, man!” I said. “You can’t make me do it.”
I fled the scene, but soon after the hilarity of the situation hit. I laughed for a good bit. I was then hit with a great temptation. I was laughing, but I honestly felt a little left out. I hadn’t experienced the horrors of the jar myself yet. I knew what had to be done.
I walked back to room, took the jar off the shelf and hesitated. There was no good thing that could come out of it, save the fact that I could be in on this hilarious gag. I observed the purple beauty. It had a satisfying density to it as I tilted the jar a bit. I took the cap off, leaned my head down, and breathed in.
Have you ever smelled something so horrific that you almost despaired of life itself? Well, that was the case with this jar. I’m not sure what I expected. It was not of this earth though. I was assaulted with the stench of a million rotten eggs mixed with the smell of a dead squirrel decomposing in a chimney after getting stuck in it in the middle of winter, topped with the flatulence of a hippopotamus. I too got some of the unholy mixture on my hands and immediately rushed to the kitchen to wash it off. As I was washing I heard a voice in my head say, “And so it is with sin.”
So it is indeed with sin. Sin has a tendency to present itself to us as royal and pleasing to look upon or experience. Sometimes we’re oblivious to it. Sometimes we know something is awry, and yet because of the influence of our friends we feel left out if we don’t partake in it. Sometimes curiosity gets the best of us. Almost every time pride is involved. It was all of the above in the case of the purple jar of doom. On the outside it seemed innocent and actually kind of pretty (obliviousness). Two good friends of mine had sniffed it, survived, and offered me a whiff (influence). I was interested to discover and know how potent the aroma of the purple liquid was (curiosity). Finally the perceived need to be in on this joke so I could be forever mentioned as part of the story ultimately led to the deed being done (pride). The contents, while appearing overall good, upon taking off the cap and “trying it”, I discovered what must be the nectar of Satan and all his demons from hell.
“When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death,” (James 1:13-15 NIV).
It’s funny how the Lord uses experiences like the one above to teach and grow us in the faith. I do still find it as one of the many amusing Race memories. Speaking of the Race, yesterday I had my last day of ministry on this thing! Weird huh? It certainly is for me. It has been a once in a lifetime experience that I will perhaps never cease to forget. The whole squad is meeting here in Livingstone tomorrow for our final debrief. Please pray that this will be a season of World Race closure, and the door of future ministry/missions being blown open. Also as we prepare for our departure on the 29th. I can’t believe I am nearly a week away from being home again.
