A single spore from a mushroom is launched into the air. It floats along, driven by wind currents and happily lands on a grasshopper. This spore is about ½ of 500ths of an inch. You would never see it nor would the grasshopper. Once attached the fungi works its way into the hapless grasshopper. Hijacking the muscles and the brain the grasshopper does things that are not in its best interest, but those things that serve the fungi within. Driven by this internal force the grasshopper, almost against its will, climbs to a higher location. There the fungi grows in power and control. The grasshopper is powerless to stop the course of events. Eventually, the grasshopper dies and the fungi extends out into a full mushroom and the cycle begins again. Honestly, this sounds like something from a horror movie. But it is part of nature, possibly given to us as a metaphor for a spiritual truth.
We sometimes hear the question, “Why are Christians so uptight about morality?” We live in a world of notably laxed moral standards. In fact, as disciples we are encouraged to fit into our world. The powers of darkness have cast the term ‘puritanical’ as a nearly absolutely negative connotation. So, what if we give in a little here or there? Is that all that important? In Ephesians 5:3-4 Paul writes, “But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.” The New Testament is clear, in the life of the disciple there is not to be even a hint of immoral behavior. In fact, because God is Holy we are called to be holy.
If you will, that little bit of sin and immoral pleasure that we safeguard and our flesh enjoys is not unlike the fungus spore to the grasshopper. At first, it is unknown. But once it takes root and becomes embedded in our heart and soul it will begin to take control. It will direct our lives in ways that are not to our well being, but for the benefit of the enemy within. How many people, who are well advanced in sin, will say, “I don’t know why I did that.” The darkness within will spread its death and harm to others. Sinners don’t hurt themselves alone. The spore will always cause death, so sin will kill its host and in the process kill so many others.
It is not hard to find moral outrage when there is mass carnage-the trafficking of vulnerable people, the abortion of the unborn, or a school shooting-but can we find the moral outrage for the sins that prompted the overt deadly behavior? Many will decry and clamor for action to end human trafficking, but without the demand of customers there is no incentive to traffic people.
Some years ago I had a friend who was a bouncer at a strip club in Atlanta. One night he arrived for work to find an unexpectedly full parking lot. He wasn’t aware of any conventions in town. He noticed a lot of the cars were adorned with PK logos and more than a few had fish decals. It was a Promise Keepers event the next day that explained the unusually busy night. We can take a high moral stand about others’ sins. But we tend to protect ours. It is interesting to note that the mass shooters at Denver, Aberdeen, and Nashville all identified as transgender. While not every transgender person becomes a mass killer, the dark power that directs their life will lead to death. But can we lovingly tell our sexually confused society that anyway but God’s way is wrong, and will lead to death?
Scripture is clear about the link between sin and death, from the time of the Garden of Eden the message is the same, “The wages of sin is death” Romans 6:23.
Let’s make two points. First, is our need to make a commitment to personal holiness. Not simply a new set of rules to keep, but a genuine pursuit to live as God’s people. Second, we must never compromise the fact that sin is not just a defiance of God, but is also the destruction of everyone infected by sin, so we will give no quarter to sin. Forever loving the sinner, but hating even the least effort to expand the spore of sin.
The alternative is ugly.
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