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The Ring of
Ganges
I've heard
it said that "character is how you behave when nobody else is around." In
other words, what you would do if you thought you could get away with it...
if you thought that nobody else would see you... says something about the
kind of person you are.
In ancient Greece, there was a story of a man named Ganges [gan- geez]
who stumbled upon a great treasure that had been abandoned or lost out in
the wilderness. Among the fabulous trinkets, Ganges found a ring and put it
on. Quite accidentally, while playing with the ring, he discovered that
when he turned the ring so that the stone and setting were in his palm, he
became completely invisible. When he turned it to its usual position, he
would reappear.
Philosophers like Socrates and Plato liked to contemplate the fate of a
person who found themselves in possession of such a ring. Would not the
most virtuous man, become corrupt, stealing from and hurting others because
he knew he would never get caught?
No offense to the Greek Philosophers, but that was pretty-much a waste
of mental energy. But, make it personal... ask yourself what you would
allow yourself to do... and perhaps it could be enlightening. Would you use
such a ring to get into the movies for free, swipe a little something here
or there, become a Peeping Tom, etc.? Would not the temptation be great?
Some people have found themselves in situations where they became
invisible! Really! Not because of a ring, but because of being away from
home on a trip or at college... or being part of a crowd. The truth is all
of us think we are invisible at some point. What we do in those situations
lets us see our true selves better than ever.
As Christians, we have a little extra incentive to do what is right.
There are two sets of eyes we can never escape. We know that the eyes of the
Lord are always upon us. (Ps. 139:1-4; Prov. 15:3; Heb. 4:13) And, if you
haven't figured this one out, you will always see what you do! Later on,
your conscience will be disgusted with what you let yourself do in those
situations... unless you do what is right to begin with. Listen to your
heart (the part of you that belongs to God) when you find that you are
invisible and not to the flesh (the part of you that listens to Satan).
You'll be glad you did.
--Stephen Seibert |
JUST AN ORDINARY CHURCH
MEMBER
Just an ordinary member
Of the church I heard him say,
But you'd always find him present
Even on a rainy day.
He had a hearty handclasp
For the stranger in the aisle,
And a friend who was in trouble
Found sunshine in his smile.
He always paid up promptly
And tried to do his share
In all the ordinary tasks
For which some have no care.
His talents were not many
But his love for God was true,
His prayers were not in public
But he prayed for me and you.
An ordinary member?
I think that I would say,
He was extraordinary
In an humble sort of way.
650 Alabama Ave. Bremen, GA Copied from Vigil; July / August 2003
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New Antioch Church of Christ
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