Thursday; January 15
Have you ever heard of
something (or someone) described as being slower than molasses in January? Well, interestingly, that may not be as
harmless as it might first appear. According
to American history, on January 15, 1919, the “Great Molasses Flood” of Boston
killed 21 people and injured about 150.
While this sounds a bit silly, following an explosion at a holding
facility, a 25-foot tidal wave of the liquid moved through the streets of
Boston at the rate of about 35 miles per hour.
A flood of water that was that size and moved at that speed could have
caused a lot of damage but imagine the impact that sticky stuff would have
had!
As I thought about this odd situation in Boston, I was reminded of another image I often see. How many times do we see the devil portrayed as some cartoonish oaf – someone (or something) goofy and harmless? Yet, the truth is that satan is dangerous and ruthless. In fact, the Bible warns, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (I Peter 5:7-9). Let’s not be lulled into dangerous situations where we don’t respect the viciousness of our arch enemy. When we do, like those buried beneath a wave of molasses, we might be too slow to react before being overwhelmed by something we underappreciated.
Think About It!