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The Devil Among Us
By Randy Wyles | June 6, 2006
I don't know if you noticed, but today was 06-06-06, and it won't happen again for another century. Some Evangelical Christians preached that it would be a day of doom; "Mark of the Beast", "666", etc. I really paid little attention, though I was raised in a Southern Baptist Church in Texas and am well aware of the prophecies – they were virtually pounded into my young head each and every Sunday. But, the thing is, I saw no signs of "The Mark of the Beast" or "666" today, though I did see true evidence of the devil among us. Still, it wasn't what you might think.
You see, I don't know about your day, but my day was just fine. In fact, it was very pleasant outside - a bit cool for June, I thought. Considering it's June in Georgia and it was the "day of the Mark of the Beast", one might have thought it would've been hotter than two hells. But I guess, like most things, it depends on your outlook. For example, it was interesting to me how, more people seemed concerned today about it being 06-06-06, than, say, the ongoing and very real threat to our security as a nation. It came to mind – the thought, "Where are our priorities?" – after something I experienced today.
I happened to go through Belmont, Georgia…just east of Gainesville…traveling down Highway 60. I missed a turn and needed to make a u-turn, so, I swung onto Dixieland Farm Road in front of the Cross Plains Baptist Church. A railroad track parallels Highway 60 there, so the turn makes an immediate track crossing – like we've all experienced in rural America from time to time.
I noticed a freight train slowly approaching from on down the track a bit as I crossed over. I like trains, so, being in no real rush, I pulled into the parking lot of this small, country church surrounded by century old oak trees. It was a Norman Rockwell painting; sitting next to a quaint little church nestled among those towering old oaks, waiting to watch a slow moving train, the sky a beautiful, clear…well, sky blue and the air fresh and crisp as the train slowly ambled by and the engineer blew his horn for the unprotected crossing and waved at me.
As the train lumbered past, I glanced over at the cemetery next to the old church. One marker, a large, stately stone with some kind of red and blue color enhanced sealed on it caught my eye. The print was large and I could see the name Edna Lee Stephens. Born in April 1948, died – September 11, 2001.
Wow, I thought. In the midst of that horrendous day her family had their own tragedy to bear.
I squinted and looked further. Wait a minute. I got out of my car and walked over. The seal, etched into the granite memorial for the ages, was made up of an American Eagle, shrouded by an American flag hovering over the Pentagon with the words "United In Memory" carved around it.
Ms. Stephens had been a victim of the "9/11" attacks.
She was at the Pentagon that day. I don't know in what capacity and I couldn't tell how long she had been there. All I knew was that she left family behind, including children. The foot stone there was inscribed with the word "Mother".
The news this week was filled with details of 17 college age terrorists arrested in Toronto, including one from Georgia Tech, along with two more students from Atlanta a couple of months ago.
It all became clear to me.
The "Beast" isn't in the numbers "666". The "Beast" is walking the streets, roads and back alleys like everyone else. And not just a dusty road in Afghanistan or a back alley in Baghdad…but Spring and Peachtree streets in Atlanta, as well.
People spend way too much time complaining and wearing their politics on their sleeve. "Should we be in Iraq or Afghanistan?" "Did the Bush Administration do the right thing?" "Are Muslims actually terrorists who use religion as both a shield against prosecution and bad public opinion and as a weapon against innocent people?" Personally I believe the answer to each of those questions is, "Yes".
People need to grow up. They keep their eye on the ball. The big picture here; on September 11, 2001, on a bright, clear morning like today, 19 cowards killed some 3,000 innocent people, including Ms. Stephens. If they had it their way, those kinds of cowards would kill the rest of us. We need to never forget that. I can assure you that Ms. Stephens’ family hasn't forgotten.
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