Elizabeth Coffey 9/4/25 Elizabeth Coffey 9/4/25

Thought for Today

2 Kings 15:30 Then Hoshea son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah son of Remaliah, attacked him, and killed him; he reigned in place of him, in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah.

Psalm 83:5 They conspire with one accord; against you they make a covenant--

Matthew 6:34 "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today.

Acts 23:12 In the morning the Jews joined in a conspiracy and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.

Which is scarier, to say that the current state of our nation, our lives, our world is the result of conspiracies, or to say that it all is the result of our own collective actions and decisions? Is it easier to blame all the bad, all the troubles, all the ills on “the hidden conspirators,” or to accept personal blame or credit for both our individual good decisions and bad decisions?

Transparency has become the current ‘word of the day’ in politics and commerce. Its use generally implies that everything we see as wrong or disadvantageous in our world is the result of some hidden agenda and/or some conspiracy to dupe us all. Every candidate for every elected office promises to be more transparent if elected. Every candidate seems to be long on promises and short on details. In the world of commerce and business, every new executive seems to offer the same promise of greater transparency. In both politics and commerce, I would love to see more transparency.

The word transparency is defined as, “1. the quality of allowing light to pass through so that objects behind can be distinctly seen; 2. the quality of being open to public scrutiny; 3. the quality of being easy to perceive or detect.” (Bing search) Having more light shine through, being open to public scrutiny and being easier to perceive or detect what is going on and why it is going on are all positive things . . . generally. Transparency doesn’t work too well in playing various card games or for international intelligence services.

President Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963. I have heard it said that everyone in the U.S.A. remembers where they were when they heard the news. I certainly do. I also remember that from the moment I heard that news, I also heard various suggestions about the assassination being the result of a secret conspiracy. I still hear many of those same alleged conspiracies offered even today.

I am openly a member of 2 groups which have been alleged to be conspiracies, in both cases they are allegedly conspiring to take over the world. I am a Mason, a secret society supposedly conspiring to run the world. Are we? If we are, someone forgot to tell me and forgot to assign me any role beyond my promise to become a better person. My own lodge does conspire to promote and further the Hospital Equipment Loan Program (HELP), providing needed health-related things like walkers, wheelchairs, etc. to those in need. It seems like a very inefficient way to take over the world, but maybe I am missing our larger agenda.

I am also a Christian . . . openly advocating and publicly praying for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. From the beginning, Christians have been accused of some nefarious plot to overthrow various governments and societies. We even publish and encourage the reading of a book detailing some of those first allegations. It is called the Bible. That book details the arrest, trial and conviction of Jesus, the Christ. Are Christians actively and openly trying to take over the world? Truthfully, we are. We believe the world will be a better place for everyone when our objective of God’s will being done on earth as it is in heaven is accomplished. Our nefarious plot to accomplish our aims is even stated in our Bible, "Luke 10:27 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." We don’t even try to hide our plot or our agenda.

Stay safe, live lives of love, trust God,

Pastor Ray