Don't Forget to Lock It

This event got me to thinking about how we view security today as opposed to 60 years ago when I was a boy. Times have really changed. Even though there were many hobos going from door to door in the 30's, we felt safe to let our doors unlocked when we went away. Today we wouldn't dream of going away for even a few minutes without locking the doors. My wife even locks the doors when she is home alone, as well she should. Is the crime rate today much higher than in the 30's, or are we more aware of it because of the news media? I don't know, but we surely seem more afraid. Of course, I remember times when my mother was terrified when we were home alone. Maybe I have just forgotten how it was.

I never locked my car when I left it in the driveway until just a few years ago. I have locked it when parked in public places for quite a few years, but I remember when I didn't do that. Back in the 60's and 70's when we went camping, we left our belongings set out on the picnic table, and nobody ever stole anything, except for the raccoons.

I guess our biggest concern today is our financial security. The use of credit cards, etc. has made us very careful about securing our credit card and bank accounts. We now shred our receipts, refrain from mentioning account numbers and credit card numbers in e-mail, and hand our cards to waiters with much more caution than we used to. In the days before computers, information was not exchanged as freely as it is today. We did not need to concern ourselves with protecting our privacy.

I also remember the days when I did some hitchhiking, and I picked up people along the road quite frequently when I was a young man. Today we even hesitate to stop and help someone along the road who has a breakdown. We wonder if it is some type of trap. It is difficult to be a "Good Samaritan" with that kind of mindset. Yet, it is incumbent upon us to help those who are in trouble. Tomorrow it might be me or it might be you who needs help.

Perhaps we worry too much about our security. Jesus said, "Do not be anxious about tomorrow. Tomorrow will take care of itself." I have a long way to go to reach that state of mind. I find myself worrying about tomorrow more than anything else. It is really a terrible waste of energy. I'm not sure what instructions Jesus might have given us in this computer age. He probably would have told us to take reasonable precautions and then quit worrying about what you can't prevent. I suppose that would be a reasonable goal. Stay safe!