Readiness

Doom and gloom over the state and future of humanity is prevalent and pervasive globally. A New York Times piece by Tyler Harper gives an excellent summary and overview over our existential anxieties:

The literary scholar Paul Saint-Amour described the expectation of apocalypse. It is the sense that all history’s catastrophes and geopolitical traumas are leading us to 'the prospect of an even more devastating futurity' — as the quintessential modern attitude. It’s visible everywhere in what has come to be known as the polycrisis.

Climate anxiety ... is driving debates about 'the morality of having kids in a burning, drowning world.' Our public health infrastructure groans under the weight of a lingering pandemic while we are told to expect worse contagions to come. The near coup at OpenAI, which resulted at least in part from a dispute about whether artificial intelligence could soon threaten humanity with extinction, is only the latest example of our ballooning angst about technology overtaking us.

There are serious concerns that the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine could spark World War III. Apocalyptic fears feed off the idea that people are inherently violent, self-interested and hierarchical and that survival is a zero-sum war over resources.

What makes an extinction panic a panic is the conviction that humanity is flawed and beyond redemption. That it is destined to die at its own hand, the tragic hero of a terrestrial pageant for whom only one final act is possible. The irony is that this cynicism greases the skids to calamity. After all, why bother fighting for change or survival if you believe that self-destruction is hard-wired into humanity?

Possible Preaching Angle:

This attitude of growing fear and societal decay should not surprise the believer. This is what Paul described in 2 Timothy 3:1-13: “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days … while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” But we have hope that we can share with the world (1 Pet. 3:15), Jesus is the “light of the world” (John 8:12).

Nearly four-in-ten Americans say we're “living in the end times,” says a poll taken against a stark backdrop of climate change, the pandemic, nuclear brinkmanship, and doomsday cults.

A Pew Research Center survey of more than 10,000 adults, conducted in April of 2022, found that 39 percent called these the “end times,” while 58 percent were assured that humanity was not careening towards catastrophe.

Researchers linked the high number of doomsayers to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has claimed 6.65 million lives globally, and fears about living on a warming planet with fiercer hurricanes and wildfires. They could also add the threat of a war using nuclear weapons and greater political division and unrest.

Researchers added: “Periods of catastrophe and anxiety, such as the coronavirus pandemic, have historically led some people to anticipate that the destruction of the world as we know it — the 'end times' — is near.” Those fears relate to present-day realities as well as looking back to “sacred scripture” and the expectation among Christians that “Jesus will return to Earth after or amid a time of great turmoil.”

While nearly half of Christians say Judgement Day is closing in, there are big differences within the faith—63 percent of evangelicals call these the end times, but only 27 percent of Catholics agree.

There's also a political tilt—45 percent of Republicans see doomsday coming, against just 33 percent of Democrats. College graduates were more skeptical of the looming apocalypse than were those with only high school certificates.

When amateur drone pilot Josh Logue launched a routine flight, he expected to find unusually high stream waters from an unexpectedly heavy rainfall. What he found, however, surprised and alarmed him. The image on the controller screen showed what he thought was a large shadow on the road.

Josh said, “I zoomed in on it. Oh, it’s a car and a giant hole down here!” Immediately, he recruited his dad and a neighbor, a firefighter with the Denver Fire Department, to try to help. Once there, they found a Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV, upside-down in a large sinkhole, with rapidly rising waters rushing around it. And to their further surprise, they found two people inside, who’d been there for fifteen minutes. If the water rose another six inches, the vehicle would be completely submerged. After dialing 911 for help, they got to work.

Ryan Nuanes was the neighbor who accompanied Josh and his dad. He began communicating with the couple trapped inside, trying to ascertain how much air was still in the vehicle. Meanwhile Josh’s dad left to find chains for his pickup truck, which they would eventually use to help pull the Jeep on its side so that first responders could rescue its occupants. Ryan said “I’ve been a Denver firefighter for 25 years. And it was the most dire situation that I had seen.”

Within ten minutes, responders from the local fire, sheriff, and state patrol were on the scene, and they all collaborated with the rescue effort. Once rescued, the man and woman inside the Jeep were transported to the hospital for further treatment.

Josh still has ambitions of becoming a professional drone pilot. Before this incident, he wasn’t sure how to make such a transition. But now he certainly has something valuable to point towards. He said, “It’ll be a story that I’ll tell.”

Possible Preaching Angle:

Each of us has the capacity to act as a “Good Samaritan” to others. God uses those who make themselves available for service at critical moments of need.

During the late-Medieval period, London had a strange law on the books—each entry gate into the city had to keep a musician on duty. This could be a dangerous job—city gates were where attackers and other threatening outsiders first appeared. It’s like border patrol nowadays, but they gave the job to musicians.

As strange as it sounds, musicians took charge of many essential services back then. These hired municipal minstrels started showing up everywhere in Europe around the year 1370. They typically played wind instruments—including trumpets, trombones, fifes, bagpipes, and recorders—as well as percussion.

To the modern mind, musical skills and police responsibilities have little in common, but in an earlier age the two roles often overlapped. Musicians not only helped defend the city gate but might also be required to patrol streets at night. In Norwich in 1440 a tax was instituted to pay the waits for their watch—and these musicians were required to take an oath of office. In Germany, a minstrel was expected “to acquit himself well as a swordsman.”

Why musicians? The most obvious answer is that musicians were ideal first responders because they could sound the alarm in case of a major disturbance. Certainly, a loud horn or drum helps in that regard. This signaling capacity of musical instruments also explains their longstanding use in military operations.

Possible Preaching Angles:

In the same way, every follower of Jesus is called to stay awake, to stay at our post, to guard and protect, and pray for the “city gate” where the Lord has posted us.

When Sophia Furtado approached her delivery location, she expected to simply deliver a pizza. Instead, she delivered a second chance at life. That’s because Furtado’s customer, Caryn Hebert Sullivan, was sprawled on the driveway in front of her home, showing extensive bleeding from a head wound.

That’s when Furtado bolted into action, running into the house and screaming for help. The commotion quickly awoke Caryn’s husband Robert, who immediately came downstairs to call 911 and help assist. Furtado said, “It happened so fast. I was freaking out because I didn’t know how much longer she had.”

Having been previously trained as an EMT, Furtado calmly relayed the important details to the 911 dispatcher, and instructed Robert to retrieve gauze and a towel to stop the bleeding, and a blanket to keep Hebert Sullivan warm. She also stabilized Hebert Sullivan’s neck to prevent a potential spinal injury.

Law enforcement personnel who responded to the scene lauded Furtado’s quick thinking and action. Police officer Jillian Jodoin said, “What Sophia did that night is not something anyone would just do. We have seen people walk away, run away, drive away, pull out their phone, or simply watch. Sophia sprang into action, alerted Robert, activated the emergency response system, rendered aid, and helped officers streamline information gathering. She saved a life.”

Possible Preaching Angle:

Being a disciple of Christ means maintaining a readiness to act in accordance to the Spirit's will to help others in need.

When Instacart delivery driver Jessica Higgs made her delivery drop, she paid attention--not just to her surroundings, but also her instincts. Higgs had taken the order from a woman who was buying groceries for her dad. The order instructions were to drop the order on the porch, but in Jessica’s words, “something was telling me, ‘No, you gotta help this man out.’” You can see the emotion on her face in the TikTok video she recorded about the experience.

Once the man came to the door, Higgs ignored the regular Instacart delivery protocol and brought the groceries into the house. Once inside, she made mental note of a propane tank, saw that the man seemed somewhat sickly, and also noticed a peculiar smell. “I was in there maybe five feet and I got dizzy. And I said there’s got to be a leak … that’s when I realized the smell had to have been coming from the propane.”

After concluding her visit, Higgs used the Instacart messaging feature to alert the daughter to the potential danger she suspected--the father was becoming sick from a leak in the propane tank. The daughter sent her younger son to check on her dad, and confirmed that the danger was real, and had the tank removed.

For her quick, compassionate action Higgs received not only a $100 tip from her customer, but kudos from several of the three million users who watched her video on TikTok. Instacart released their own statement of gratitude, including the following:

We are constantly inspired by the incredible people who choose to be Instacart shoppers and intentionally make a positive impact in the lives of others. This story touched our hearts and we are grateful for shoppers like Jessica.

Possible Preaching Angle:

When we go above and beyond the regular scope of our duties in order to act to preserve a life, we honor the dignity and value of living beings made in God's image

Dayvon Johnson probably didn’t wake up feeling like a hero. But few would argue that two sets of actions he took that day were anything less than heroic. The sixth grader at Muskogee’s Academy was hailed as a life-saver when a classmate began choking on the cap from a water bottle and stumbled into his classroom. The quick-thinking Johnson moved with alacrity. He performed a quick Heimlich maneuver and the bottle cap popped out of the student’s no-longer-blocked airway. When interviewed by the local newspaper, the eleven-year-old Dayvon said he learned the maneuver on YouTube.

But the life-saving didn’t stop there. Later that same day, Dayvon was walking in his neighborhood and noticed a house that was on fire. He saw an elderly woman trying to escape through her front door. Though the fire was only in the rear of the house, he didn’t want to wait. “I thought ‘oh, she’s not moving fast enough.’ So, I ran across the street and helped her to her truck.”

For his efforts, Dayvon was honored during a local meeting of the Muskogee School Board. School principal Latricia Dawkins said, “He is a dual hero. He is just a kind soul and well-liked by his peers and staff alike.” Also, the local police department proclaimed him as an honorary member of the force.

Dayvon’s mother LaToya Johnson said she was not surprised that her son stepped up the way that he did. She noted that her role-model brother--Dayvon’s uncle--is an EMT (emergency medical technician). However, she’s content to thrive in her own sacred role. “I’m just a proud mom.”

Possible Preaching Angle:

All of us are given opportunities to help others within our vicinity. Our job is to be ready to serve when called upon.

Herb Turetzky attended the New Jersey Americans’ first-ever ABA game in October 1967 expecting to be just a spectator. Turetzky, a student at LIU Brooklyn, arrived early at the Teaneck Armory. Max Zaslofsky, the Americans’ coach and GM who had attended the same high school as Turetzky, greeted him as he walked in, “Herb, can you help us out and keep score of the game tonight?”

Turetzky responded, “Max, I’d love to. I’m here, so why not?” Turetzky sat down at a wooden folding chair at half court and jotted down the lineups. That was more than 2,000 games and 53 years ago. Since then the team has moved to three different cities, played in eight arenas, and been absorbed into the NBA. And Turetzky is still setting in that wooden chair. “I’ve never left that seat since,” he says. “I’m still here and I’m still going.”

NBA official Bob Delaney calls him, “the Michael Jordan of scorekeepers.” And an article in Sports Illustrated referred to him as the "courtside constant." One simple “yes” led to a meaningful lifelong service.

In the 1960s, towns along the northeast coast of Japan began erecting seawalls to withstand waves of about 30 feet (the height of a terrible tsunami that struck in 1933). The walls were an eyesore everywhere, but they were especially disliked in the village of Fudai.

Kotoko Wamura was the mayor of Fudai when the town began planning its seawall. Wamura had been a young man when the 1933 tsunami wiped out his home town. And he also remembered the stories of an even larger tsunami (50 feet), one that had struck in 1896.

On one side of the city, the mayor built a huge flood gate where the Fudai river meets the coast. And on the other side, he constructed a tower seawall at a height of 51 feet, the tallest seawall on the NE coast. Residents who lived in the shadow of the wall were furious, unconvinced they needed a wall so expensive and so ugly, blocking their ocean view. But Wamura wouldn't back down.

Opinions about the mayor and the wall changed on Friday March 11 2011, when a tsunami, described by one resident as "a black wave, darker than a nightmare" struck Japan. Towns up and down the coast were wiped out, but not Fudai. The wall, once derided and despised, held back an ocean of death and destruction.

One resident, Ms. Odow, owns a home right behind the seawall. Recognizing that the project was initially hated by the residents, a reporter asked what the residents thought of the mayor now. She responded, “They appreciate the mayor now ... [he is] the hero of Fudai.”

Michael Platt, 15, is an entrepreneur that uses his sweet tooth to make a difference. His business, Michael’s Desserts, uses a one-for-one model where every order sold buys another dessert for someone in need. During the 2020 holiday season, Platt stepped up his efforts by creating and distributing snack packs for kids who aren’t getting enough food while they’re out of school because of the pandemic. Platt said,

My project is packing snack packs for kids who are experiencing food insecurity. A snack pack is a small portable bag of things like protein bars, almonds, jerky, breakfast bars and water enhancer that a kid can have with them to carry them over from meal to meal. I supply these to food pantries so that kids can have them at home when they need them.

Food insecurity has always been a need among children, but Platt stepped up once he realized the pandemic was exacerbating the problem. He said, “COVID has had a really, really big impact on childhood food insecurity, before it was one in seven kids who might be food insecure, now it’s one in four kids who might be food insecure.”

Michael Platt was highlighted as part of Good Morning America’s focus on charitable giving, along several other children and teens doing their part to pitch in. “If we all do everything we can, then we’re taking care of the people around us and making the world an even better place.”

Possible Preaching Angle:

When we are proactive about helping to meet the felt needs of others in our community, we are operating as the hands and feet of Jesus.

In 2004, the shoreline of Sri Lanka, was devastated by a horrifying and massive tsunami. The destruction caused in just a few minutes was unimaginable, with close to 40,000 lives lost and thousands of homes wiped out. It took months to recover from the devastation.

As the rebuilding process began, one of the strange discoveries found out was that prior to the tsunami, animals in the wildlife reserves close to the sea, instinctively seemed to sense the danger that was approaching. As a result, they moved to higher ground or further inland and escaped the effects of the killer waves. After the tsunami, the people also are now wiser as to what they should do, if a similar disaster threatens to strike again.

Possible Preaching Angle:

Sadly, when it involves God's timing in the affairs of the world, most people seem to find it difficult to understand what’s happening! With all that is taking place around us today, it is time to look up, for “our redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28).

David Ayres was just sitting in the stands with his wife, enjoying a hockey game, when he saw the goalie go down. At 42 years old, and 15 years removed from a kidney transplant, his dreams of playing professional hockey were long gone. The closest he came to professional ice was driving the Zamboni on the practice rink and serving as an on-call emergency goaltender, in the extremely rare event that both goalies were injured during the game. Usually, that just means a free ticket to the game and dinner for David and his wife.

After the first goalie went down, David left his seat to get half-dressed in his hockey gear. Then his phone started blowing up with text messages: another collision had occurred and the backup goalie was injured too. It was David’s turn to step into the spotlight. He said later, “I’ve been on this ice many times without fans. Put fans in the mix and it’s a whole different game, obviously. But hey, once in a lifetime, I’ll take it.”

Things didn’t start well when the first two shots he faced went right into the back of the net, but a teammate encouraged him: “Just have fun. We don’t care if you let ten goals in.” David said that was a turning point. He stopped the next eight shots to secure the win. The Hurricanes’ coach said, “He just gave us an incredible memory.” David goes down in history as the oldest goalie in NHL history to win his debut. David said, “I’d love to see somebody else in the league get the same opportunity. So would every fan.”

Possible Preaching Angle:

Jesus says to his followers, "Be ready for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect" (Matt. 24:44). It's not our job to know how the Lord is going to use us, but it is our job to be ready at all times to answer his call. He doesn't ask you to be the right age or have the right skills, but simply to be ready to serve. He'll take care of the rest.

A woman in her 30s was walking near the Kenagakawa River in Tokyo. Stepping out onto a pedestrian bridge that spans the river, she climbed over the chest-high railing and threw herself into the water below in an apparent suicide attempt.

The time was just after 5:30 on a Wednesday morning, and the bridge isn’t located in a particularly busy part of the neighborhood. Luckily, though, a 70-something local resident say the woman fall into the water. “Don’t die!” he shouted while whipping out his phone to call the paramedics, but it turned out that help was even closer by.

The closest building to the bridge just so happens to be a dormitory/training facility for sumo wrestlers. With the sumo wrestlers following an early-to-rise regimen, there were large men present and ready to spring into action. In total, approximately 20 wrestlers rushed to save the woman, who appeared to be drowning, and they were able to pull her out of the water and onto the safety of dry land.

The sumo wrestlers’ work wasn’t done yet, though. When the ambulance arrived, there was a 6.5-foot barricade between the bank and street level. Luckily, there was no shortage of muscular strength on-site. A number of the sumo wrestlers combined their might to lift the stretcher up onto the road, after which it was loaded into the ambulance and the woman taken to the hospital.

Doctors later reported that the woman suffered no serious injuries. Regardless of how the wrestler’s careers in the ring turn out, they’ve all proven themselves champions of outstanding kindness and quick-thinking.

Possible Preaching Angle:

1) Opportunity; Readiness - God will often put us in circumstances where our willingness and availability can be used to serve others. 2) Talents; Spiritual Gifts – You are uniquely gifted and each of us has a different talent with which we can serve God.

In the 1880s, if you wanted a good life with a good job, you moved to Johnstown, PA. The Pennsylvania Main Line Canal came through town, so that brought jobs. So did the Pennsylvania Railroad. And the Cambria Iron Works. Families were moving in from Wales. From Germany. Not to mention there are beautiful mountains, covered with forest, all around town. And right through the town runs the Conemaugh River.

In fact, the area is so beautiful, the country’s richest people—Andrew Carnegie and Andrew Mellon—would come out from Pittsburgh to hunt and fish at a private club up above town, where an old earth dam had been modified to make a fishing lake for them.

On May 30, 1889, a huge rainstorm came through and dropped six to 10 inches of rain. Despite that weather, the next day the town lined up along Main Street for the Memorial Day parade. The Methodist pastor, H. L. Chapman, said, “The morning was delightful, the city was in its gayest mood, with flags, banners and flowers everywhere ... The streets were more crowded than we had ever seen before.”

And then the old dam miles above town collapsed, releasing almost four billion gallons of water. When that wall of water and debris hit Johnstown 57 minutes later, it was 60 feet high and traveling at 40 miles an hour. People tried to escape by running toward high ground. But over 2,000 of the 30,000 people in town died. Some bodies were found as far away as Cincinnati, and some were not discovered until 20 years later.

The Johnstown Flood remains one of the greatest tragedies in American history, behind only the Galveston Hurricane and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. And in every one of those cases, life was fine. Until it wasn’t. In a moment, in a way that was unexpected and most people were not prepared for, something cataclysmic occurred, and people were swept away.

Possible Preaching Angle:

Jesus tells us when the end comes it will be like this: “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes (Matt. 24:37-39).

Nicole Hornback was attending the local high school homecoming parade when she noticed her two-year-old son Clarke was choking on a piece of candy. Hornback said, “I was sitting right next to him. I just happened to look over. There was no noise, no coughing, no breathing.” After trying and failing at the Heimlich maneuver, she called out in distress.

Meanwhile, cheerleader Tyra Winters, a senior at Rockwall High School, was waving to the crowd from a float. When she heard the call for help, she immediately leapt into action. Winters explained, “He was turning purple, so I immediately jumped off the float. I ran down to the kiddo, and I was like, ‘I got him.’ I grabbed him from the mom and tilted him and I gave a good three back thrusts and he ended up spitting up.”

“She saved my baby,” said Hornback. “I commend her for being a teenager and being trained.”

Possible Preaching Angle: Anyone can become God's vessel of healing and deliverance; all it takes is being willing to see the need and act accordingly to the Spirit's leading.

Because of a peculiarity in professional hockey, the fate of the Chicago Blackhawks in their scrum against the Winnipeg Jets was decided by a fan who was called into emergency goalie service.

Scott Foster, a 36-year-old accountant, hadn't played a hockey game against serious competition in over a decade, but because of his background as a goalie for Western Michigan University, he'd been designated as an "emergency goalie," an honor that usually just results in free food in the press box. It wasn't Foster's first time in the role, but when rookie goalie Collin Delia- himself substituting for regular injured goalie Anton Forsburg-was injured in the 3rd period, Foster was called into service. He literally walked down from the stands, put on his gear, and took to the ice.

"The initial shock happened when I had to dress and then I think you just kind of black out after that," Foster said. "I don't think I heard anything other than 'Put your helmet on.'"

Whatever mental zone Foster entered as he took the ice, it was effective. He stopped all seven shots attempted, earned the team belt (an honor reserved for the game's best player), and set social media ablaze with tweets and posts from fans and analysts who could not believe he had never played professionally before.

"This is something that no one can ever take away from me," Foster said. "It's something that I can go home and tell my kids."

Potential Preaching Angles: Even if others overlook you, God has a mission in mind—even for unlikely disciples. God uses everything to prepare us, even when we don't feel ready.

In their book Known, Dick and Ruth Foth tell a poignant story of devotion and loyalty:

Edinburgh, Scotland, is famous for a story of a dog and his owner that express devotion and tenacity in equal measure. The story began in 1850, when John Gray came to the city to be a gardener. Unable to find work, he joined the police force as a night watchmen. To keep him company through the long nights, he would take his small Skye terrier named Bobby with him on his rounds. They became part of the living landscape of the city night after night for years.

John later contracted tuberculosis and died in the winter of 1858; he was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard. What happened next became legend in the city. Bobby, the Skye terrier, would not leave his master's grave. Except for accepting midday meals from the kind people in the area, Bobby stayed there day and night with his master. The caretaker tried on many occasions to evict the dog, but to no avail. Finally, he provided the little dog with a shelter by the grave.

When the city passed an ordinance that all unlicensed dogs would be destroyed, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, William Chambers, purchased a license for Bobby and had a collar engraved for the little dog. Until his death fourteen years later, the citizens cared for Bobby while he guarded his master's body. If you walk to Greyfriars Kirkyard today, you can't miss the statue that stands across the street. It is a sculpture of Bobby with these words inscribed on the base:

Greyfriars Bobby—died 14th January 1872—aged 16 years. Let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all.

During heavy thunderstorms in south China, a one-year-old baby apparently went looking for his mother by a window. According to reports coming out of China's media, two local men on the street below noticed the child's unsafe position and anticipated his fall. A man so far identified as Mr. Li, an "ordinary" street vendor, only had his bare hands and one chance, but the guy was in the right place at the right time with a willing heart and he made the remarkable catch. Mr. Li said, "I didn't think too much at the time. I was just afraid of failing to catch him."

Possible Preaching Angle:

There's sure something to be said for ordinary people who show up, stay awake, and make themselves available. You never know what God might ask you to do and how God might use you.

On October 18, 2013 in Buffalo, New York, 37-year-old Darnell Barton was driving a bus filled with high school students over a bridge when he spotted a young woman perched on the wrong side of the guard rail. Sensing something wasn't right, Barton slowed to the side of the busy arterial and opened the bus door. From his seat behind the steering wheel, the driver called to the woman asking her if she was okay. When the young woman looked at Barton but didn't respond, he left the bus and approached her. Barton told the Buffalo News, "She turned back to look at me and then back at the traffic and that's when I kind of lunged and got my left arm around her body." Barton proceeded to talk her into climbing back over the guard rail as he guided her with his large arms. Together they sat on the pavement.

A surveillance camera shows a pedestrian and a bicyclist going by the distraught woman without stopping to help. But Barton, who acknowledges having grown up in church, said he could hear his mother's voice in his head prompting him to do the right thing. As a result he gave her some encouraging words. The two conversed until first responders showed up. Barton told a reporter "The Bible says we are to be ready in season or out of season. You've got to be ready. If you've got time to do anything you've got time to do the right thing."

When Barton got back on his bus he received a standing ovation from the high school students. Then he his route, wrote up a report, and went home. Nicknamed "Big Country" by his co-workers, there is little doubt that the heroic driver has a big heart.

Possible Preaching Angles: (1) Compassion; Kindness; Involvement; Readiness; (2) Christmas; Incarnation—"Big Country" Barton provides a small (but imperfect) picture of what Christ did for us by getting involved in our predicament, coming to us on our level, and then gently leading us from distress to wholeness.

On April 20, 2013 NYPD officers raided a drug den in a Brooklyn, New York neighborhood. The police found a crew of five men in possession of 23,000 pills of oxycodone with a street value of $460,000. Apparently the men had used stolen prescription sheets to obtain the drugs. They were also accused of peddling heroin and cocaine and possessing a sawed-off shotgun.

But there was an interesting twist to this story: the men routinely texted their customers that they were closed for the Sabbath. One text read: "We are closing at 7:30 on the dot and will reopen Saturday 8:15 so if u need anything you have 45 mins to get what you want." That explains why police officers dubbed their year-long investigation into the group "Only After Sundown."

Editor's Note: This story is not intended to disparage all devout Jews—who may have much to teach us about honoring the Sabbath. It shows one example of our human tendency to observe one part of our faith while we ignore other parts.