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THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 1997
12A
Judas’ act
part of
God’s plan
Sunday
School Lesson
RELIGION
Devotional reading: Matthew
27:1-10.
Lesson scripture: Matthew
26:14-16,20-25, 47-50,27:1-5.
Today’s lesson concerns Judas-
a sobering example of someone
who seemed to possess the ulti
mate advantage and still went
wrong. We wonder how anyone
who had walked for so long as a
dose friend of Jesus could betray
him.
It is important for us to under
stand what occurred in Judas’
case and why so many choose
the same path today. Such
tragedies as his are possible
because all people have fireedom
of will - the freedom to make
their own choices for good or
evil. A chain of wrong choices
will lead to disaster, and in some
cases the impact of that disaster
is experienced during a person’s
earthly life. Even the most
mature Christian must not let
down his guard for a moment,
lest he find himself asking,
“What went wrong?”
Some may ask, “Did Judas
really have a choice?” Was he lit
tie more than a puppet on a
string? We must address this
issue before proceeding to the
lesson text. Among the numer
ous Messianic prophecies in the
Old Testament was the predic
tion that Jesus would be
betrayed. Zechariah prophesied
the amount of thirty pieces of sil
ver and added that this sum
would be given to the potter
(11:12;.13). Long before it even
entered Judas’ heart to do so,
Jesus knew that Judas would
betray Him and called him a
devil, though without naming
him explicitly (John 6:64, 70,
71). According to today’s lesson
text, Jesus revealed to Judas
that He knew what he intended
to do (Matthew 26:25). But
knowing what a person will do is
not the same as causing him to
doit.
It is probable that Judas was
not always a betrayer. We
assume that when Jesus chose
the twelve, Judas possessed a
faith, zeal, and trust that was
similar to that of the other disci
ples. However, as soon as Jesus
chose these men, Satan began to
look for ways to destroy them.
He attacked them aU by appeal
ing to their pride, fear, lust for
power, and greed. In one case,
that of Judas Iscariot, he suc
ceeded.
Some may ask why Jesus did
not choose someone else who
would have been spiritually
stronger than Judas. It does not
appear to be God’s pohcy to pre
vent us from sinning by keeping
us from tempting situations,
even when He knows that we
will fall. Though He promises
not to allow us to be tempted to
the point that we have no
chance of resisting (1
Corinthians 10:13), the Lord still
requires us to make our own
choices, and we all sometimes
fail. Step by step, through his
own choices, Judas came to the
terrible decision to betray his
Master.
At the same time, God’s sover
eignty should not be overlooked.
He knew in advance that Judas
would become a traitor, and
inspired His prophets to record
some of the details of the betray
al. Jesus was folly aware that
He would be betrayed. These
facts tell us that God was not
surprised, nor were His plans
thwarted or altered by Judas’
actions (see John 13:18, 19).
Jesus’ eventual arrest and cruci
fixion were part of the “determi
nate counsel and foreknowledge
ofGod” (Acts 2:23).
It is impossible for us to know
exactly what happened to Judas’
heart to change him from one of
the loyal twelve to a betrayer.
PM
PHOTOS/SUE ANN JOHNSON
An earth mover brings down the wall of an abandoned building in the Reid Community. Efforts to demolish the 60 year old
building were lead by residents and clergy.
And the walls came tumbling down
By Jeri Young
THE CHARLOTTE POST
The Rev. Kenneth Alexander,
pastor of Mount Moriah Baptist
Church, believes if the clergy
unite, the community will follow.
He had proof of that on
Monday.
About 75 people cheered as
the walls of an abandoned, con
demned building in Belmont’s
Reid community tumbled down.
The building stood across form
Alexander’s church and its
neighbor Love’s Chapel
Presbyterian Church
“It let people know that we as
clergy are as concerned about
the community,” Alexander said.
“And it let everyone know that
we are not going to take it any
more.”
The building, at one time a
theater, had become a haven for
drug dealers and addicts.
Prostitutes could often be found
lurking in its shadows.
Residents watched in shock as
they watched the building and
several others turn their quiet
street into one where strangers
were to be feared.
“It had affected our children,”
Reid resident James Miller said.
“People were afraid to walk up
and down the street. People
would stop to buy drugs. Drugs
had even infiltrated our park. “
Miller, a retired principal who
has hved in the area for almost
50 years, serves as co-chairman
of Belmont Youth Counseling
Service has seen change in the
community over the years.
Problems like alcohol, drugs and
teenage pregnancy had
destroyed famihes and lives.
“We found that parents were
having the problems,” Miller
said. “We brought in people to
talk to the kids and help them
straighten out their lives, but
the source was still there.”
An act of kindness
Residents had long wanted to
do something about the building,
but cost prevented them from
purchasing it.
The problem was solved earlier
this year when an anonymous
donor bought the building. The
person, a member of First
Presbyterian Church, then
deeded it to Love’s Chapel.
“The person knew of our
plight,” Miller, a member of
Love’s Chapel said. “The person
wanted to help us get it torn
down.”
“We were happy to get it,”
Love’s Chapel pastor Michael
Robinson said. “For years the
community was trying to get
something done about it. Some
of our members had tried to pur
chase it for years. What hap
pened was nothing short of a
miracle and the grace of God
and the willingness of people to
give.”
'The church voted to tear down
the building. The lot will be used
to ease parking problems for the
church.
Monday’s service marked the
birth of a renewed community
and the Belmont Reconciliation
Task Force, a group of concerned
clergy of several denominations
and races who have dedicated
themselves to finding Christian
solutions to community prob
lems.
“The Task Force will address
problems,” Alexander said. “We
will do it not only on this comer,
but aU over the citj'.”
The group was born from
weekly clerical meetings held at
First Presbyterian. Ministers
would get together to fellowship,
share and brainstorm.
“We are concerned with the
total community,” Alexander
said. “We want good community
relations. The church is the per
fect place to start.”
The group hopes to acquire
other properties and repeat the
services held Monday.
met na a group of minis
ters in the community,”
Robinson said. “We came up
with the theme The Walls Come
Tumbling Down.’ The walls
symbolize the division coming
down in our churches and neigh
borhoods.”
In the meantime, neighbors
see the event as a way of making
the community a little safer.
“We’ve had our problems with
our neighborhood,” Robinson
said. “Through or meeting we
have come up with a way to
make our city better. Our neigh
borhood is not as bad as could be
and not as good as it used to be.”
Miller agrees.
“We still have a lot to do,”
Miller said. “But we are delight
ed. People don’t have to be afraid
to walk the street at night or
come to church.”
A crowd of 75 looks on as the building, which was once a church, is demolished. The lot
will be used for parking for local churches.
Four more
join flap
over rebel
capital flag
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHARLESTON, S.C. - The
leaders of four major South
Carolina denominations have
renewed efforts to bring
Christians together at a time of
concern about racism and con
troversy about the Confederate
flag.
“With the issues that we face
in South Carolina, I don’t think
there has ever been a time
when the Christian churches
need to demonstrate more unity
and support for each other,”
said Bishop Edward L. Salmon
Jr. of the Episcopal Diocese of
South C2irolina.
Salmon was joined by leaders
of three other denominations
Sunday for the meeting of the
LARCUM Covenant - a discus
sion group of leaders from the
Lutheran, Anglican, Roman
Catholic and United Methodist
churches.
The four denominations
agreed last year to a common
baptismal certificate and lead
ers met Sunday to continue
their quest for unity.
The churches have been work
ing for social as well as theologi
cal unity. The names of many of
their clergy appeared in news
paper ads
Lucifer
divided
Heaven,
we can’t
be sur
prised that
he’s
divided us
here on
Earth.”
-Bishop
Thompson
statewide
Sunday urg
ing reconcili
ation on the
issue of the
Confederate
flag, which
flied above
the
Statehouse,
but which
Gov. David
Beasley
wants to
move to a
memorial on
Statehouse
grounds.
“Lutherans
have always
been con
cerned and
have always been a strongly
ecumenically minded church,”
said Bishop David Donges of the
South Carolina Synod of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America.
“LARCUM has made some
significant steps,” said Bishop
Dorsey Henderson, of the
Episcopal Diocese of Upper
South Carolina. “The fact that
these denominations can come
and agree on a common bap
tismal certificate is very excit
ing.”
Bishop David 'Thompson of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of
Charleston said divisions
among the churches is the work
of the devil.
“Lucifer divided heaven,” he
said. “We can’t be surprised that
he’s divided us here on Earth ...
the prayer of Christ is for unity
and Christ’s prayer is not going
to be fhistrated.”
Methodist Bishop Lawrence
McCleskey could not attend, but
was represented by the Rev.
Steve Holler, the pastor of
Armenia United Methodist
Church in Chester.
Abdul Jabbar Coors ads offend Muslims
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
GOLDEN, Colo. - The Islamic
Society of North America has
condemned NBA Hall of
Earner Kareem Abdul Jabbar's
appearance in a Coors beer ad
and wants him to renounce it.
Sayyid M. Syeed, secretary
general of the Plainfield, Ind.-
based society, called Abdul
Jabbar's appearance in the
television spot “devastating.”
Alcohol is prohibited in Islam,
he said.
Abdul Jabbar, a devout
Muslim, makes a cameo
appearance in the Golden
brewery's ad campaign, which
began Jan. 1.
The former NBA star joins a
group of men cavorting in the
snow-covered Rockies. They
cut out a hole in the clouds for
a basketball hoop.
The ad is part of a series that
shows young, giant-sized peo
ple bounding over snowy
peaks, playing volleyball or
some other sport.
Syeed has called on Abdul
Jabbar to ask Coors to drop
the ad or donate his compensa
tion to institutions that fight
alcohol use.
“Alcohol is totally prohibited
in Islam,” he said. “Not only
the drinking of alcohol but
shipping, serving or promoting
alcohol, or participating in
feasts or parties where alcohol
is served. All these are bad.”
Coors spokesman Dave
Taylor said there have been no
complaints about the commer
cial.
“I would think Abdul Jabbar
knows the parameters of his
religion, and he felt the ad and
his role in it were in good taste
and appropriate.”
Lorin Pullman, a spokes
woman at Abdul Jabbar's Los
Angeles publicity firm, said
she would consult the compa
ny’s attorneys and try to reach
the NBA star for comment.
“One does not have to be an
expert on the Koran to know
that (alcohol prohibition) is a
basic fundamental doctrine in
Islam,” said Mohamed Jodeh,
president of the Colorado
Muslim Society.
Jodeh said Muslims even
instruct their financial advis
ers to avoid investing in busi
nesses with ties to alcohol.
“It’s the last thing one would
expect from Kareem Abdul
Jabbar, to do something with
Coors,” said Jodeh, whose
organization represents 20,000
Muslims. “What was he think
ing of?”