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TV Program
Most people are willing to make sacrifices so their children can have a better shot at life. We do without some of the luxuries of life to save for college tuition. We work that extra shift to pay for baseball, swimming or music lessons. Even if our own healthcare doesn’t cover a whole lot, we still drag our kids to the medical clinic once in a while, because we want them to have every chance at living a healthy, productive life.
So then you have to wonder…why in the world would somebody build a school right on top of a toxic waste dump?
In the late 1800s, Mr. William Love got this idea to build something he called a “power canal” in upstate New York, right near Niagara Falls.
The national economy was booming, the country was growing, and those who moved the goods stood to make a tidy fortune.
The power canal, designed by William Love, was supposed to do just that, but before he could excavate more than 3,000 feet, the boom was over and economic depression set in. For years, the piece of land that was supposed to make a fortune became a swimming hole for local kids.
That all changed in 1942 when the Hooker Chemical and Plastics Corporation signed an agreement with the power company allowing them to use the hole as a toxic waste dump. Now, from what I can tell, the chemical company was very responsible about the way they used the old canal, because they took every precaution to make sure the site was completely sealed and that nothing would ever leak into the surrounding soil.
So over the years, the Hooker Corporation confidently disposed of something like 248 different chemicals, as well as 130 pounds of dioxin, which can be lethal even in small amounts.
Between 1947 and 1954, approximately 20,000 tons were buried in the site known as Love Canal. That probably should have been the end of the story, but in the early 1950s, another economic boom was underway, and Love Canal was carefully sealed and restored to its natural grade. Kids were using the loch as a playground and the city suddenly got this idea that it would be a great place to build a school.
Now, at that moment, the land was relatively harmless. But still, the Hooker Corporation wasn’t comfortable with the idea of building a school on a toxic dump. Yet, the city persisted, and so with a clear warning and a signed release, the Hooker Corporation sold the land. That is where the story gets really bad, because in spite of clear warnings that the land was not suitable for children, the city began to build a school.
As some people tell the story, the contractors actually had to move the project when they discovered two pits filled with chemicals at the original site. As a result, the school was actually built on top of the former dumping ground, and even then it probably could have been all right, except for the fact that during construction, the original seal on the toxic dump was broken and chemicals that had been so carefully disposed of began to seep into the ground. To make matters even worse, the baby boom had already pushed residential neighborhoods right near those grounds.
By 1978, people began to notice that something was definitely wrong. The people who lived in the neighborhood, relatively unaware of its history, had an extremely high rate of cancer, and an alarming number of birth defects. And while the 99th Street School had been permanently closed and demolished—because it sat on top of the former toxic waste dump and the kids were constantly sick—local residents had trouble proving that the diseases they were facing at home were linked to the same problem. And of course, when the problem got big, nobody, I mean absolutely nobody, wanted to admit liability.
Now the good news is this—if there is any good news in a story like this—by the end of the year, the Federal Government responded and started moving people to new locations. But the question we have to ask is this: Why in the world would somebody put a school right on top of a chemical dumping ground?
Unfortunately, the answer seems to be that what we usually do is the thing that’s easiest or most economically convenient, and that is a tendency that can get us into a lot of trouble, especially as we come up on the final moments of this world’s history.
You see, one of the toughest lessons a person has to learn is that there is more to life than just getting ahead. Let me show you what I mean from an Old Testament story specifically designed to teach us something about the last days.
You’ll find it beginning in Genesis, chapter 13, where Lot and Abraham decided they needed to go their separate ways, because the land they currently occupied couldn’t support the both of them. Here is what the Bible says (Genesis 13:8-9):
“So Abraham said to Lot, ‘Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.’”
Now, I want you to notice Abraham’s generous spirit. It would appear that this godly character and gracious disposition are more important to him than financial prosperity, which might be one of the reasons God takes a liking to this man and calls him a friend. And it might also be one of the reasons that God chooses to bless Abraham with material prosperity in spite of the fact that in this story, Abraham appears to get the short end of the stick. Let’s continue, because the thing I really want you to see comes next (Genesis 13:10-12):
“And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom.”
Now at first glance there is absolutely nothing wrong with Lot’s decision. His uncle told him to pick whatever land he wanted and that’s exactly what he did. So who can blame him for choosing some of the most fertile, prosperous real estate on earth? I mean, given a choice, anything you want, wouldn’t you want the best that you could possibly lay your hands on? Of course you would. But there is just one catch. Even though the Bible says that the plain of Jordan was a little like the Garden of Eden, it was still filled with toxic waste. Just listen to this in Genesis 13:13:
“But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord.”
You know, it’s just one sentence but it packs an awful punch. As wonderful as the plain of Jordan seemed to be, it had toxic waste hanging in the air, because the people who already lived there had turned their backs on God. You might be able to raise a flock of sheep without much work there, you might be able to grow some of the best produce in the world, but there is more to life than taking care of the bottom line.
You know, the story of Lot in the city of Sodom reminds me of another story written by the great Russian novelist, Leo Tolstoy, about a successful peasant farmer who wasn’t happy with his lot in life. One day someone told him that for 1,000 rubles he could buy all of the land he could walk around in a single day. The only catch was that he had to finish marking his land by the time the sun went down. He had to come right back to where he started.
So early the next morning, he jumped into action and started to walk, and as you can imagine, he didn’t dawdle, because that would mean he wasn’t taking full advantage of the offer. All day long he kept on walking until halfway through the afternoon he realized that his greed had taken him a long way from the starting point.
Desperate to make good on the offer, he picked up his pace, and as the sun began to touch the horizon, he started to run because he knew if he didn’t make it back, he was going to lose it all. Gasping for breath, he pushed his body as hard as he could, and just as the sun set, he actually made it. He crossed the finish line a much richer man than he was just a few minutes ago. The only problem was that he had punished his body too hard and he collapsed on the ground. A trickle of blood was running out of the corner of his mouth. In a few minutes he was dead, and his servants dug him a grave.
You see, when it was all over, the only land he had was a burial plot six feet long and three feet wide, which is all the land anybody gets when they cross the finish line of life. So the question is really a matter of priorities. Of course you need to make a living, and of course you have to put clothes on your children’s backs, but when you consider your temporal needs, you have to balance it with what is really important.
That’s precisely where Lot failed the test. Nobody can blame him for wanting to take care of the bottom line, and there is nothing wrong with being good at managing your resources. But if it comes at the cost of moral compromise, you know you are headed for trouble, because the Bible is full of warnings that the bottom line isn’t really the bottom line. Just listen to this advice out of the book of Proverbs. It says (Proverbs 22:1):
“A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold.”
According to the Bible there are lots of things more important than riches, and that’s a lesson everybody is going to learn in the final moments of Earth’s history. Just listen to this remarkable description found in the 18th chapter of the book of Revelation, where God compares the self-absorbed condition of our planet to the ancient city of Babylon. And He reminds us that as prosperous as Babylon was, it still fell to pieces in the end. Here’s what it says (Revelation 18:9-11):
“The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’ And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore.”
It kind of reminds you of that statement Jesus made in Mark, chapter eight, where he asks (Mark 8:36):
“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”
The lessons of life are going to prove Jesus right, and I’m willing to guess that if Lot himself could appear on this program today, he would tell us with tears in his eyes that it is absolutely true, the problem of greed takes over our lives when we fail to remember there is something more beyond the grave, and your moral fiber will prove to be far more important than the numbers in your bank book.
The Bible tells us that after Lot moved into the city of Sodom, he got caught in this war between neighboring kings and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah. But when the day was done, he was a prisoner of war and his uncle Abraham actually had to round up an army to set him free. But you know, even after that, Lot moved back into Sodom and that’s when things got really bad, because his family got completely absorbed by the life of the city.
By the time you get down to Genesis, chapter 19, where the city of Sodom is about to be destroyed, you discover that Lot’s family has a little of trouble convincing themselves that it’s actually time to go. Even though angels had come to remove them in person, they couldn’t break free from the lures of the city. Listen to what the Bible says in Genesis 19:12-13:
“Then the men said to Lot, ‘Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city—take them out of this place! For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.’”
So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters and said, “Get up, get out of this place, for the Lord will destroy this city.” But to his sons-in-law, he seemed to be joking.
Now here is the sad fact: Lot had moved his family into the heart of a wicked city, and now they found themselves hopelessly entangled in its day-to-day life. Instead of marrying men whose hearts belonged to God, his daughters married the men of Sodom, so when it came time to flee the city, Lot’s married children wouldn’t go.
I don’t know if you can imagine the heartache of knowing your kids are about to be lost, but I’m willing to guess that Lot had more than a few regrets as he left his daughters’ house for the very last time. And the specific reason we have this story in the pages of the Bible is because God is trying to tell us something about the final moments on planet Earth.
Peter tells us in his second letter that what happened to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah is a specific example for those of us living in the last moments before Jesus comes. And so you’ve got to ask yourself: How entangled have I become in the day-to-day life of this world?
Now, I’m not suggesting that we all pull out and go live in a commune somewhere, but the Bible tells us that we need to be careful about the influences we allow to dominate our lives. Just listen to these words found in the book of 1 John, chapter 2 (1 John 2:15-17):
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
Nobody can say that the warning bell hasn’t been sounded. I know, you have to make a living and yes, you have no choice but to live in this world, but you do have a moral choice when it comes to the things you allow to occupy the top end of your priority list, and you do have a choice when it comes to the moral influences you are going to allow in your home. And when it comes to the family God has trusted to your care, it’s more than a choice; it’s a God-given responsibility.
You really can turn off the TV when you see your children watching something that is putting the wrong sense of values in their hearts and minds. You really can choose to put your children in a school where the Word of God isn’t something people laugh at. You really can choose to give them books that will build their Christian character and you really can make a choice to bring those kids to church.
As I read the story of Lot, I can’t help but think about how he must have felt as he left his daughters’ homes for the very last time. I know it was tough because the Bible says the angels had to grab the rest of his family and literally drag them out of the city. And even then, as the fire from heaven fell on a city that just wouldn’t repent, Lot’s wife couldn’t help herself. There was a longing in her heart for the pleasures of this world that made her turn over her shoulder and look back at the things she left behind.
Now it’s really easy to point fingers at Lot’s wife, but you have to ask the question: How tempted would I be to look back at the things I’m going to have to leave when the final crisis ends? How much of a priority have I given to the things I’m not going to be taking with me?
Take a few minutes for personal inventory. Examine the values you place on the different parts of your life and ask this question, are you really spending your life on what is important, and are you going to be able to walk away when you really need to? Perhaps even more importantly, what kind of influence are your choices having on the rest of your family? Never forget that moral choices are almost never made in a vacuum.
In his remarkable book “The Tipping Point,” Malcolm Gladwell points out that social trends are like a contagious virus. They spread easily. The choices you make and the actions you take can radically affect the way other people behave. Nobody operates in a moral vacuum. Your decisions really do influence the people around you, and nowhere is this more true than within the confines of your family.
As Lot is pulled out of the city of Sodom, the angels tell him to head for the mountains, but again, he hesitates. Do I really have to leave? Can’t we go to the next town? It’s a lot closer. It would be a lot easier on us.
You see, there is still a little Sodom in the heart of Lot. He still can’t shake the things that made Sodom so attractive to him in the first place. When you read the description of Sodom found in Ezekiel chapter 16, you discover that the problems in Sodom were primarily the result of idleness, pride and material abundance, the very same things that plague our 21st century world today. And when it came right down to it, Lot kind of liked those things, and it made it difficult to run.
So you have to wonder, if Lot had done what God had asked and made a clean break and had run for the mountains, is it possible that his influence would have kept his wife from looking back? Is it possible that his hesitation was a factor in her decision to linger?
There are a lot of things we can learn from the story of Lot and from the vacant lot that was left behind when the fire actually fell. But for today, I want to sum it up like this: Be very careful what kinds of ties you allow yourself to build with the time you have here on Earth, because when it comes time to cross the finish line, you are going to discover those ties will either pull you through or hold you back.
The mistake is really made when we put economic advantage ahead of our family’s spiritual well-being, and the message of Lot is simple. It is better to do without convenience than to sacrifice your family on the altars of idols. Before you grab that piece of land and stick your kids on it, you’d first better check it for toxic moral waste.
There really is a finish line to this world’s history. There really is a limit to how long God is going to put up with sin and suffering. And the question is: Why in the world would anybody cling to this place so desperately when God has offered us so much more in the world to come?
What you choose as your priorities is really going to make a difference in your life and in the lives of your children. Why don’t we pray about this together right now?
PRAYER:
Father in heaven, we are thankful that it doesn’t have to be the way it was for Lot. Even though Abraham took the tougher ground, you still blessed his life and gave him more than the things he merely needed. Today, that is what we want, to be with Abraham when he receives his real inheritance, the Earth made new. And we want to be there with Christ for all eternity, for we ask it in his name, Amen.
Scriptures Used in “Lessons from a Vacant Lot”
“So Abraham said to Lot, ‘Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.’”
—Genesis 13:8-9
“But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord.”
—Genesis 13:13
“And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom.”
—Genesis 13:10-12
“A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold.”
—Proverbs 22:1
“The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’ And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore.”
—Revelation 18:9-11
“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”
—Mark 8:36
“Then the men said to Lot, ‘Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city—take them out of this place! For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.’”
—Genesis 19:12-13
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
—1 John 2:15-17