38 days have now passed since the explosion and sinking of Deepwater Horizon, an offshore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. 11 men who worked on that rig are missing and presumed dead. That alone makes the explosion of the BP-owned rig a disaster.
You know, however, that there is another disaster that continues into this 38th day. A leak of between 12,000 and 19,000 barrels of oil each day has yet to be stopped. Various approaches have been tried and have all failed. Presently there is a "top kill" method being tried, where tons of drilling mud are being injected into the hole. The idea, of course, is to seal the hole and stop the leak.
The problem is much more than the loss of precious oil. For years we've acknowledged that the United States consumes far more oil than can be produced from our own resources. The necessary import of crude oil to keep our nation running leads to diplomatic nightmares.
Added to the waste of a valuable commodity is the destruction of natural wetlands. Our hearts break at the sight of innocent waterfowl and other marsh creatures fighting for survival in the oil-saturated environment. If the leak is stopped today (and there's no promise that can happen), the damage will take many years to undo, if it can ever be undone.
Take that image of black oil gushing into the pristine waters of the Gulf of Mexico and apply it to yourself. Imagine that there is within your soul a hole that is allowing pollutants to enter. Think of the damage those toxins are causing. It's a frightening scenario, isn't it?
Truth is, there's not just one hole like that to our souls - there are two. Here's what Jesus said on the matter: "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" (Matthew 6:22,23).
Achan was one who didn't stop the leak that eventually destroyed him and his family. Despite an order to all the soldiers in Israel's army, Achan took some of the spoil from Jericho. He later explained what happened: "When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them ..." (Joshua 7:21). Had he acted quickly to stop the leak (i.e. turned his eyes away from the objects that tempted him), he and his family would have fared much better.
The things upon which we gaze can have an effect upon our souls. "I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me" (Psalm 101:3). Do you think David knew what he was talking about? What if he had acted quickly to "stop the leak" when he looked upon Bathsheba one evening (2 Samuel 11:1-5)?
Our most pressing challenge is to keep our souls pure (James 1:27). When we discover portals through which the world spews its poison into our souls, we shouldn't just sit there enjoying the view. We need to act with urgency!
Timothy D. Hall.
