“Pipers of Perdition”

"Pipers of Perdition"

      

     On the side of a building in our downtown area, a mural depicts a number of popular entertainers of the last half century, nearly all of whom died of drug overdoses.  The mural is clearly intended to celebrate the sad victims of demonic, carnal, and worldly destruction, rather than to mourn the grave tragedy of their lives.

    "He that sinneth against Me wrongeth his own soul.  All that hate Me love death" (Proverbs 8:36).  

    Each of the entertainers mentioned sought worldly fame, fortune, and power, all of which the Bible warns against.  They reached their goals, fulfilled their dreams, and influenced millions (which continues through video and audio recordings to this day).  Nevertheless, these notorieties died in the squalor of substances that offer momentary pleasures, but result in eternal misery.  And again, they lead multitudes as pied pipers to perdition.

    "Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence" (Proverbs 4:14-17).

    If the world bestows heroic status on anyone, we do well to check the credentials of both the bestower and the recipients.  Just as the artist who painted the mural seems to celebrate death, so do many seem to ignore the obvious tragedy of wasted lives.  It is not hard to sense our enemy as the primary culprit of this consideration, that is, he who seems to have had the capacity for music woven into his very being in his original creation.  "The workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created" (Ezekiel 28:13).  That he might use such an amazing gift of God for destructive purposes should not surprise us.  Even more, we should expect that he will promote lovers of death in heroic terms as his unholy means of leading multitudes astray.

    We must follow the One who loves life because He is the Creator of it.  We must also avoid the lovers of death.  Indeed, the matter involves both life and death.  Our Lord ever guides us in the former as we trust and submit to Him.  The pied pipers of perdition lead elsewhere, to destruction for themselves and all who follow "the broad way that leadeth to destruction" (Matthew 7:13).

"Choose life."

(Deuteronomy 30:19)

"Eschew (separate from) evil."

(I Peter 3:11)

Weekly Memory Verse

     What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.

(Psalm 56:3)