In the 1920s, there was a famous jewel thief by the name of Arthur Barry. Depending on the side of Boston you come from, he’s either famous or infamous. What’s interesting about this guy is that the only people that he stole from, or the most affluent people in the city, the richest of the rich, he even had a nickname, the Gentleman Thief.
After years of successful robberies, Arthur was finally captured by the police. During his arrest, he was shot three times and fell through a glass window. From that day on, he vowed he would never steal again. 20 years later, he was finally released and went to live in a quiet town in New England.
Surprisingly, everyone in the town liked him. He was a good citizen, but it didn’t take long for the press to discover who he was. Soon the media came in droves to ask Arthur about his robberies. They wanted to know about his crimes. They wanted to know who he stole from the most. His answer was surprising.
Arthur Berry said that the person he stole from the most was himself. He said that he could have been a successful businessman and investor. A contributing member to society. But instead, he chose a life of crime and spent two thirds of his adult life behind bars. He thought he was stealing from mothers, but actually he was stealing from himself.
The Apostle Paul even warns us be not deceived. God is not mocked. Whatever a person sows, they shall also reap. I think as Christians, we get caught up in the rules of the Bible. God expects us to do this and not do that, but the truth is that we weren’t made for the rules. The rules were made for us. And when we ignore the moral laws of God, we only end up cheating ourselves.
This has been everyday miracles by hope, mindfulness, and prayer.
In the year 1818, a 26-year-old Catholic priest by the name of Joseph Moore was preparing for the Christmas Eve service at his church in the Austrian Alps. And while cleaning up the church in preparation, he found out that his organ had broken. This was not good. I mean, here’s this young guy that is probably new to this church.
If you’ve ever gone through art history class, you’re probably familiar with a painting called The Light of the World. It was painted by the British artist Holman Hunt, and hangs in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. It’s one of the most iconic religious paintings in history. The painting depicts Jesus standing outside of a small, dilapidated cottage.
I was recently listening to the U2 album, all that you Can’t Leave Behind, and I came across a song called Grace. The lyrics say this, grace takes the blame, covers the shame, removes the stain, but once was hurt, but once was friction. What left a mark? No longer stings because grace makes beauty out of ugly things.
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