Cleaning out the thousands of pieces of junk mail that had
accumulated in my email inbox (I’m not exaggerating here) I ran across several
recent emails that I had ignored. All of
them brought good news of great joy.
There was an email from my “sister in Christ” who I’ve never
met, Doris Tamo, who’s husband died leaving her with $2.5 million dollars in a
lock box. She’s been diagnosed with
cancer, and would like to donate that money to a church or individual. Of course, she wants to give it to us.
Then there is an email from Miss Leticia Koulibaly who’s
husband was poisoned by her "wicked uncle" (her words).
Miss Leticia has $6.5 Million dollars that this wicked uncle would like
to get his hands on, and to keep this from happening she would like to give it
to me or our congregation!
In addition, I have an email from Mr. George Culmer, “A
Banker From Lloyds Banking Group United Kingdom”. He’s sitting on a whopping $100 million
dollars US, and would like to transfer this money into our country. For this he needs my help. In return, he will split the money
fifty-fifty with me or the church! All he needs is information to access my
bank account.
And if this isn’t enough, Mr.Ahmed Edelbore “The Chairman,
Contract Awarding Committee of the ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES”
has $6 million dollars he would like to transfer into my bank account (or the
church’s), and Miss Anna Paul, a young woman in Abidjan (wherever that is) needs my help getting
$5.5 million into the US, keeping her evil relatives from getting their hands
on it.
All in all, either I or our congregation should be receiving over
$70 million dollars in the near future!
Of
course, these are all scams, and if pursued the scammers will take you for all
they can. Not all “good news” is real
news. Real good news actually pans out. Authentic good news changes things for the
better. At it’s best, real good news
brings truth and love to a dishonest and mean world.
Christmas is a time to celebrate the real good news of the
birth of Christ. And how do we know that
this good news is genuine good news?
Because it has all the genuine side effects. The good news of Christmas is actually good
news because it makes us a better, more loving people.
Luke 2:10-11 NRSV
But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see—I am
bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David
a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.
We may not be getting that $70 million dollars, but we have
something even more valuable than the false promises found in my inbox. We have the good news of Jesus Christ! A gift that makes us, and our world,
better. A gift that never fades. A gift that we need to unwrap and share, this
and every Christmas.
Merry Christmas!
David
