It is not difficult to imagine moving out of one setting and into another, unless we are presently struggling within the setting we are in ...in the heat of the moment, in fear of the outcome, or without cause for hope.

Creating an imaginary world to avoid reality may work for a short while, but long term it becomes either a psychosis or something that may be even worse ...called business as usual, unaffected and indifferent.

One is considered a type of mental illness, while the other masquerades as contentment or complacency ...there being a hesitation to diagnose it as apathy.

And it depends much upon whether you are unable to cope with reality, or whether you've become comfortable ...and choose not to look at those who may not be.

And while some may think others are 'plotting' against them, still others care little about these things ...and are only looking to increase their 'lot'.

Contentment is healthy when it is unconditional, as God would have it. And there's something to be said of the saying, "It's better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all." There's also another saying, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." We must attempt it, and with God, we can love ...and it will never be lost. But, it's different with the various definitions that we use to cheapen love. And without God's version of contentment, we often think we have it until we are adversely affected ...losing it if it impacts us instead of others.

Within the familiarity of so-called advanced societies, we have Presidents and Prime Ministers ...and we look at Kingdoms and Dynasties within books and various forms of entertainment, primarily movies.  We allow our imaginations to accept how things once were with warriors and castles ...not really questioning why, or how we've come to take for granted the advancement of our local police and standard American neighborhoods.

"High society' seldom concerns itself with what might be going on in other parts of the world.  But, the fact is, though some societies are quite advanced, others are still struggling to emerge to pre-eminence ...and still others don't really care, as long as their personal strivings are met with some degree of satisfaction.

Of course, what we mean by 'advancement' can be disputed ...nevertheless, we will advance with this story.

This Cinderella lives with her parents in a standard, middle class neighborhood in America. And she commutes from home to a local community College.

Cinderella is taking a variety of basic courses, not knowing what she is interested in. But, she knows she isn't interested in Barry.

Most people like Barry, and he is a fine young man.  He attends the same church as Cinderella.  He is not really outgoing, and could never be accused of being intrusive. Most of the church members like Barry, and his quiet demeanor ...except Cinderella.  

Barry sees himself as a typical college student.  He wears blue jeans and tennis shoes, his best for church.  His hair is a bit long, but appears shorter than it actually is because of the curls.

Cinderella sees Barry differently.  To her, his curls are more like a squirrels nest.  She knows where he lives because she'd overheard him answering some basic questions of interest that her parents asked him, inclusive of the fact that he lives in a trailer park. There are many reasons for why she's convinced she doesn't like him ...but perhaps the greatest reason is that she senses that he likes her.

Barry is very patient, and he doesn't get discouraged easily. He also feels that those who understand love the most can also withstand rejection. Barry continues to live his life as if nothing phases him. He lives a fairly routine life, working maintenance for the County on the day shift. After work he also does mostly maintenance ...on the simple one-story house he'd recently purchased. And he attends church Wednesday night for prayer group and a Bible study on Fridays.

After three years, Cinderella and Barry get married, and her parents agree it is a very sensible thing to do. They look forward to living a healthy and balanced life together.

The first additions to the family come by the names of Joshua and Caleb ...twin baby boys.

Six years later, it's twins again, by the names of Moriah and Mary.

The children are more than a handful ...but also a heartful. And as they grow, Cinderella and Barry look forward to them becoming strongly independent and upstanding individuals some day.

As both girls become twelve, the older twin boys continue to watch after their younger sisters.  This allows Cinderella to have more time on her hands ...and she looks to fill that time.  And the church somehow seems to feel that it is their role to fill the majority of that time.

The church leaders had voiced a need for more Christian activity ...and many outreach programs are organized.

County inspections are coming up ...so, Barry is needed, and he works quite a bit of overtime.  His is not able to make it to the extra church functions, but Cinderella doesn't mind ...she is beginning to think she has more fun without Barry.  She feels that Barry is sort of an embarrassment.

Cinderella likes going out to eat, but she keeps envisioning how Barry always stuffs his mouth and eats too much.  To her, he also kind of looks like a squirrel when he eats, stuffing his cheeks like that.

And nobody fancies to the squirrelly misfit misbehaviors while rallying around and raving about whom everyone is nuts about. And that whom just happens to be Jack. The 'new' guy at church is also very outgoing, and begins to attend all the functions. The strange thing is ...that even the married women seem to be interested in this single guy.  And Jack doesn't seem to mind stirring the pot either.

What is really happening here?  To them, nothing at all ...just honest Christian fellowship.

A two-week long missions trip is organized for the end of the month, inclusive of Easter.

Again, Barry can't get time off ...as this time there has been an outbreak of the flu at the County, and they are shorthanded.

Joshua and Caleb know how much Mom is looking forward to it, and they encourage her to go on the trip ...assuring her they will take care of their younger sisters.

Cinderella decides not to go ...as there are too many school functions the children are involved in.

Suddenly, they say they are able to switch the mission trip from spring to summer.

The children once again insist that Mom go.  Cinderella excitedly exclaims, "We can all go ...I mean, the four of us!  I know Dad has to work ...but the rest of us can go."

Spring has turned to Summer, and the mission trip is in full swing. Barry looks for a postcard, but none arrives. He asks at church, but they all have the same news ...none.

At the end of three weeks, Barry is at wits end ...when finally he gets a letter, from some island in the Pacific.

He'd thought they were going to Africa, but somehow they'd landed in the Pacific. In the letter, she said she's never been happier, and she and the children ...weren't coming back?!?

Barry checks with the church custodian, and he talks with someone there at church who'd gone on the trip ...and they say that everyone had gotten back a couple of days ago, and "Didn't Cinderella notify you of her change of plans?"

Barry can't control his emotions, "Change of plans!! What change of plans?!"

"Well, ...Jack and your family took a different flight!"


Barry almost screams, "They did what!!"

"You can check it out on Facebook ...and see if Jack has posted anything. Lots of the people have posted things about their trip."

Barry is not on Facebook ...but he is told he can come to church and look on their computer.  Barry is not very good with computers, so he asks for assistance.

By the time Barry gets to the church, the Pastor is also hovering over the computer, mumbling, "Some people are so bold, and they don't care what they post on Facebook."

Thankfully, it showed where Jack was at.  The disturbing part was that he posted what he was doing. He bragged about coming back to the U.S., to pick up another girl ...that he was tired of Cinderella.

Barry wished the authorities could pick up Jack, but he was sure that Jack would be nowhere to be found.  But, his main urgency was not in finding Jack ...it was finding his wife and children.

Barry packs a few of his things, and heads to the airport ...to make arrangements to fly to the last address posted on Facebook, in the Pacific.

When Barry arrives on the mainland, he questions around.  

Frustrated, he is about to leave ...though not knowing what his next step should be. Perhaps he had mistakenly arrived on the wrong island.

A young native girl approaches him.  Her English is surprisingly good compared to the others he had attempted to talk to, "Someone told me you were looking for someone."

The young girl says her name is Onithe Petit Jean, and she knows a place where many families go ...but most don't return. She points out to sea to an island he can't see, "I know you may not believe me, but it is out there."

Barry has no choice ...but to believe someone, "Who can I trust to take me there?"

Onithe hesitates, also wondering if she can trust him, "I have a small boat ...and I can take you there.'

Barry eagerly says, "Thank you ...but why do you think my family is there?"

Onithe winces, "Because I escaped from there?"

(I want this to be a happy ending ...but the story has to take an even more ugly twist first.)

Onithe and Barry do not arrive on the small island unnoticed.  They are captured and locked away in a dark, damp dungeon.

No person shares the same cell, each one is alone ...except for the shrieks, screams, and moans.  The magnitude of those horrific sounds forever echo between the thick concrete walls ...and shake the hope and confidence of every living soul within.

From what Onithe had told Barry ...each woman and girl is repeatedly raped, while each man and boy of any age is likewise tortured and beaten.  Barry can't imagine what his wife and children must have already gone through ...his own screams piercing the darkness as he throws himself at the cold steel door.

Eventually, his voice gives out, he collapses ...and he begins to pray.

(Many of you may think this story to be wildly imaginative ...and sick. Yes, I too, agree with how sick it is ...but these things do happen. The confinement is not usually behind thick concrete walls, though it makes it no less terrifying.)

Usually, the impenetrable walls are fears, layered with incident after incident of unchecked and constant torment and violence.

Does it help to dwell on this all the time?

No.

Our Pastor preaches what Jesus has told us, "Therefore, don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things."

I understand the need to have faith like this ...but, I also realize how difficult it must be for those to whom the difficulty is brought.

Though it is often proclaimed that ignorance is bliss, it is not to the victim ...and if I want to continue to believe it is not real, I've also been told, "You don't know Jack."

It is not good to isolate or remove ourselves from it, merely saying, "It will never happen to me," but worse in saying, "It doesn't matter as long as it doesn't happen to me."

Yes, I am now reading this ...ten years after I had written it. I don't know what kind of impact it would have upon anyone else who may read it, but a very effective way of communicating (which is more difficult to ignore) is the movie industry. It took them nearly a decade to get it released, and it is not just a fictional story like mine is (to bring light to what does happen), their story is based on a true story of Tim Ballard, who I would consider a hero (though he doesn't look at himself that way, as he felt it was just something he felt he had to do, and the children are the heroes). The movie is called 'Sound of Freedom', and we saw the movie last week.

Some people may say this is worse than Hell ...

Why worse, some would say ...how could anything be worse than Hell??

Well, some would say that only deserving people would go to Hell ...and certainly those like Barry, Cinderella, Joshua, Caleb, Moriah, Mary, and Onithe don't deserve what is happening to them.

How about Jack ...who appears not to carry that same attraction that he first did? Doesn't he now appear rather evil ...and wicked??  Would his most recent Jack-o-lantern, sick grin ...now qualify him enough to place among the most evil type ...deserving of Hell?? 

Those who so cruelly and wickedly torment others in this life, we may think they often go unpunished ...but we frequently grit our own teeth and long for their death in this life, so they can face the torment they are deserving of in the next life.

We may mostly agree on the worst of the worst ...but where do we draw the line??

The fact is ...we don't!!   God does.

We try too hard to try to figure it out ourselves ...where the line is drawn with us.  But, it is not in our hands.

We see how Abraham tried to reason it out with God when Sodom and Gomorrah had crossed that line.

Genesis 18: 19 & 20 ...The LORD said of Abraham, "For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment ..."

And the LORD said, "Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is so grievous ..."

It appears most everyone there were either perpetrators or victims.  The perpetrators would likely want to forever continue what they are doing, and never be put in check. The victims would likely welcome the end.

Ezekiel 16:49, says the sin of Sodom was pride, fullness of bread, an abundance of idleness, and neither was the hand of the poor and needy strengthened.  (But, often we just focus on the sins that disturb us the most.  Sin is a progression, and I think that is what is being shown here.  Pride comes first ...as we step away from seeking out God, thinking we know well enough.  Fullness of bread further puts us in a position to be prone to think we are not in need.  And when we are full, it often does not compel us to strive ...but can lead to idleness.  It's been said that idle hands are the devil's workshop.  And it appears that is what we see in the following Chapter 19, in Genesis.  And it is what is also seen with disturbing similarity in Chapter 19 of the Book of Judges ...where everyone kept stepping away from God's guidance, thinking they knew well enough.  In Sodom, the hand of the poor and needy seemed to be forced into prostitution, with no strength to escape that way of life ...as the strength would have to be of the type that only God could bring, and they seemed to have long departed from seeking out God to guide their lives.  And with sick, arrogant confidence the perpetrators boldly wandered about with a gang mentality ...while the victims found no relief.)

We have prisons in many of our countries ...to confine the criminal behavior, whether violent or not.

Our prisons often all attempt to separate those who are violent within the prison ...but 'general population' within the prison can be less than desirable.  Mainly, all these criminals are separated from those they've committed crimes against on the outside of the prison.

But, the fact that violent criminals are in prison, means they have already done the damage, there are perhaps many such occasions where they'd not been caught, and many victims.

The goal is to primarily stop the violence ...and secondly, to attempt some sort of rehabilitation.

All of us sin. Earth is sort of rehabilitation for all of us, but in a different sort. Hell is actually the place where true 'lifers' go ...or should it be said that it's where 'deathers' go?

But, it often seems that some of those who go to prison have sort of an advantage ...including many of the "lifers', because they find true life.  They already been convicted by a court and are serving their consequence or punishment for what they've done. Now, they have this great opportunity to turn their life around, especially with the many great prison ministries which can help point them in the right direction ....Jesus.

There is much to be said for what a broken home can do, if there is no compensation to guard against a potential lack of proper upbringing.

But, it's not just broken homes in the sense of the status of the parents ...it could be our broken relationship with God.  Perhaps there is no standard to guide our children by, other than our own lacking.

Pa:  "Let him go, Ma ...if he don't learn it himself, he'll just resent us.  No kid likes being told what to do, and 'specially no kid likes a teach'n parent.  Flat out, no kid likes learn'n from others."

Ma:  "But he's only eleven years old, Pa!"

Pa:  "Doesn't matter ...let him find out the hard way.  That's the only way I learn'd.  After he gets shot a couple of times, he'll learn ...if'n he lives, that is."

I know that's a bit exaggerated, but we do like to come up with stuff ourselves.

And there was a point I was making, where most of us would contend that God certainly would do better with us than that.  God wouldn't deal with us like the Pa and Ma in the previous discourse.  So, why would God let us have such free will to mess up our lives, or let others help mess it up ...then later judge us, and decide whether we are fit for Heaven or not?  

Fact is, none of us are fit ...that's not the criteria.

But, neither should we rashly assume that God is lacking as a Heavenly Father.

God did not set up a system where there is nothing to put us in check on earth, with no laws, and no standards ...then suddenly on Judgment Day we are left in shock.

Let's look at that ...

Those many laws in Leviticus which so many people think are so punitive ...were for an effective deterrent.  And it was not so much like today, where there are so many areas where it may not be a deterrent ...where standards are lax and people can hide out.  Many of the people were nomadic and traveled in tribes, camps, or families ...and were close enough so someone would usually know what happened.

Yes, there were also those who tried to change the rules and set up their own.  But, for the most part, parents appeared to take more responsibility and be accountable for their children.

So, it was set up ...and it was we who threw much of it away. For some time, those called the children of Israel had strict standards to live by.  In the Book of Judges, we see how it was. And we see that the people repeatedly asked for a king. 

But, what they were missing with all these requests, was that they had a King ...the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit being One to rule their lives.

All dressed up and no where to go, Cinderella?  Don't wait for someone else to come calling.  Jesus is already calling ...and in due time you'll be provided with a white robe you'll be happy to wear.