Last night someone jumped the fence in my garden, stole four of my watermelons, and smashed one on the road outside my church. At first I was mad. Then I wanted revenge in the presence of an electric fence. But I think I've forgiven them now.
I imagine it was a group of High School kids who hang around a nearby park. They have mopeds and they race down the street late at night. They park their parent's car along the street and the boys and girls try to impress each other. In short, they're miserable. They feel powerless and invincible at the same time...if only they were in control.
They're like the Israelites in the desert with new found freedom while complaining that God isn't listening to them and they haven't yet experienced, nor do they trust that it will get better. The are truly hopeless.
So if the choice was having them act out their frustration by committing suicide, beating up some unpopular kid, or smashing my watermelons, I'm sort of fine with losing all the work that went into them. I just hope they make amends to someone when they reach their promised land.
