The Eye of the Needle: Part One

As a writer, I am often inspired by events around me. Due to my secular job, however, I do not always have time to put into words the thoughts I feel at any given time…or once I have jotted down my ideas, many times I lack the opportunity to flesh out my ponderings. For this reason, I have binders and indeed bins full of jotted notes, news articles, and even pictures with scribbled thoughts on the back.

My closet, likewise, boasts such an eclectic culmination. Whenever I am shopping or reading a magazine and I see some outfit that inspires me, I cut out the picture and put it into a binder. My individual style is a culmination of these random moments of inspiration. For instance, you will notice that I wear a lot of scarves; quite simply, I read in a blog how that French dressing rooms are outfitted with scarves to allow the woman a flair when trying on clothing. Why not have that flair all the time? My closet is full of turtlenecks and pencil skirts, heralding back to my days of infatuation with Audrey Hepburn, a woman of modest yet sleek style.

Although many view me as a very organized woman—perhaps even a perfectionist—I must admit that my thoughts do not always translate into beautiful pros! I was reminded of this again this morning.

Hurricane Katrina occurred back in 2005 and this morning, rummaging through one of my binders of odds and ends, I happened upon a picture that I had printed from a news article online. As you can see above, the picture is one of utter devastation and ruin…via a violent explosion!

Pictured, you can see a chemical plant in New Orleans, which was under seven feet of water. As the water continued to rise, the propane tanks that had sat in neat rows around the plant became dislodged and began floating about in the storm. What you see pictured are the explosions from the plant as one by one the tanks began to ignite one another and the surrounding structures.

I recall vividly one commentator speaking of the destruction. He wasn’t sure he could adequately describe the scene but referenced the smell of burning smoke and even the smell of sulfur. While I am unsure whether the smell of sulfur would accompany the explosion of a propane tank, the picture and the man’s next words caught my attention. He said something like, “The area has turned into a virtual hell.”

A News Clipping…A Preview

Looking at this clipping this morning, I remember vividly what I was doing while the victims of Hurricane Katrina were enduring this “virtual hell.” I was an assistant administrator for a nursing home. In that capacity, I assisted at least fifteen elderly and disabled visitors coming into our facility, being evacuated all the way to Lubbock, Texas from the hurricane area. Not only was the landscape devastated but so many of those I met were devastated as well. They worried about their family members who were still in the area. They could be found lost in thought, reminiscing about the shops or the local café where they met their spouse that was no longer standing. Their reactions were of worry for their families, regret over missed opportunities in case someone didn’t make it out, and fear that life would never again be the same.

Such a catastrophe is indeed life-changing. For me, it was a wake-up call. Written alongside the picture I printed on September 2, 2005:

“New Orleans: Chemical Plant explodes…under 7 feet of water. Is this what Sodom and Gomorrah looked like? 2 days before one of the nation’s largest homosexual rallies, disaster struck—called the largest in US history!”The coincidence is astonishing in this light. Genesis 19:24 says that “the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven.” Brimstone is sulfur. Imagine the yellowish haze filling the sky, obstructing the sun, making it hard to breath! Sulfur has a thick, nauseating smell as would the burning flesh of those caught in its rain.

Genesis 19:27-28 says that, “Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord: And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.”

What is so interesting about my scribbled note is that the same sin for which Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed was also closely linked to the Hurricane Katrina tragedy.

In Genesis 19:4-5, we find that the wicked men of the city were engaged in same-sex relationships: “But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.”

To ‘know’ someone in those days was to consummate a physical relationship. These men even accosted the angels of the Lord in their lust!

In 1 Kings 14:24, we find that homosexuality is an abomination.



While it would be easy, therefore, to condemn such a lifestyle, let us consider it in perspective.

We find ourselves appalled by those who choose this sexual sin as their moniker or label, but what about the person who lies or embellishes the truth? What about the person who disobeys her parents?What about the person who breaks his word?

As I have often said, there are some sins which are more visible and even less palatable due to the structure of our society; however, are not all sins…sinful?

According to Romans 6:23, the “wages of sin is death.” Note, the writer did not differentiate between which sins were worthy of death and which merited a smack on the hand!

There are no great sins and no little sins. Indeed, there are those called abomination, but in the final reckoning, all are equal in how they will impact us on judgment day.

While we still hold a standard against those guilty of the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah, we conveniently forget that the backbiter, the fornicator, and the liar will all take part of the same judgment. It could be said then that the rally to be held in New Orleans just prior to Hurricane Katrina was no more a catalyst than the shrewd businessmen in the city who lied and cheated their way to success; no more a catalyst than the teenager who has lost respect and reverence for his forebears; and no more a catalyst than the countless who claim to be Christian yet live day-to-day, failing to retain Him in their knowledge and actions.

Consider Romans 1:18-32:
15 “So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
16For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”
This passage does not excuse any sin, but rather reveals that for us to be saved, we all have changes to make! Indeed, if we are to escape such a scene as that played upon the plains of Sodom and Gomorrah, we must pass through the eye of the needle….

In this lesson,we are going to focus on just what that is! You’ll be surprised!