Thought for Today
Leviticus 19:18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
Ezekiel 44:13 They shall not come near to me, to serve me as priest, nor come near any of my sacred offerings, the things that are most sacred; but they shall bear their shame, and the consequences of the abominations that they have committed.
Matthew 5:44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Luke 6:31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
As I was getting dressed this morning, a story on the morning television news caught my attention. One of our Massachusetts senators is offering a marathon overnight speech on the Senate floor to condemn what he perceives as an authoritarian challenge to democracy. What struck me was not the speech itself, not the subject of his speech, but rather an example noted by the newscaster of the Law of Unintended Consequences. Both of Massachusetts’ senators consider themselves champions of the everyday, working folks in our state. They are strong supporters of labor unions and support workers’ rights. Yet, this speech on the Senate floor is resulting in mandatory overtime work by everyone who keeps the Capitol Building operating, the security forces and all of the clerical staff . . . everyday, working folks having to work overtime as they go unpaid because of the government shutdown.
There are other, even more glaring examples of the Law of Unintended Consequences in the history of our nation. One of the most egregious is Prohibition. “Prohibition in the United States refers to the legal prevention of the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages from 1920 to 1933, enforced by the Eighteenth Amendment.” (Copilot Search) The intended consequences were to save lives and families from the consequences of alcoholic consumption. The (surely) unintended consequence was the rise of organized criminal activity centered around and profiting from the smuggling of alcohol.
I suspect that our Civil War should also be classified as resulting from the Law of Unintended Consequences. Certainly the officer in charge of the artillery that opened fire on Fort Sumpter never imagined or desired Sherman’s March to the Sea and the total destruction of the economies of all the seceding states.
Sometimes the results from the Law of Unintended Consequences can be positive. The laws dealing with our tax code and especially our Income Tax were intended to organize collection of the funds necessary to operate our Federal government. The Law of Unintended Consequences is reflected in how they were used by our Federal government to reign in the criminals profiting from Prohibition. Many of the most egregious offenders were sentenced and convicted on Income Tax evasion.
As a Christian, I regularly pray “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Of course, the intent of that prayer is the elimination of all sin and evil, the restoration of humanity’s relationship with our Creator God. I cannot help but wonder, however, what unintended consequences might ensue.
Without any crime or violence, standing armies would not be necessary. The only military required would be The Men in Black, led by Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith, necessary to organize and protect us from all of the space aliens visiting our planet.
Police forces would obviously need to be expanded. Not to deal with crime, but to deal with the massive traffic congestion. Imagine the snarls resulting at every intersection when each driver is insisting that the other drivers go first. Instantaneous gridlock!
If we all love our neighbors, if we all did God’s will just as it is done in heaven, what jobs or professions would remain unchanged? What economies would or could operate as they do now? If the change from our current condition to a world operating on God’s will were not gradual but were instantaneous, imagine the chaos that would result!
Sometimes consequences are what we intend. Sometimes there are unintended consequences. Sometimes consequences are good and positive. Sometimes they are not. However, there are always consequences from our ideas, our words and our deeds. Some are easier to imagine than others. That’s why we need to think and pray before we say or do.
Stay safe, think before you speak, trust God,
Pastor Ray