A Letter to the Mafia

James 5:1-6

1 …ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. 4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is [because] of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. 5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in the day of slaughter. 6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.

This post has been a long time in coming. Although it may be somewhat risky (trust me, I don’t have any inside information, but who likes being condemned?), I have had it on my heart for awhile and realize we must be made more aware of this evil and dangerous enemy. The mafia is a clique of secretive, fraudulent businessmen who become rich on others’ hard-earned money (their latest episode: mixing olive oil with vegetable oil [which is cheaper] and selling it at the same price as 100% olive oil). It originated, apparently, on the island of Sicily, but spread to the whole of Italy. You wouldn’t believe it, but Guelph – in Ontario, Canada – is the mafia capital of the world!

To the Mafia:

            Why do you think it’s okay to steal others’ money – those who work an honest living and wish only to do what’s right? Read these verses. Read what the Lord has discovered long before you existed.

            These people (“…the hire…”) who earn their bread with honest labour (“…of the labourers…”) have been heard by the Lord (“…the cries of them… are entered into the ears of the Lord…”), because they were jipped (“…have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back…”) by your fraud (“…by fraud…”). Do you realize, in your greed, that all those treasures which you possess will be of little importance (“Your riches… corrupted...your garments motheaten….gold…silver…cankered;…”) at the end of the world, but in fact, will increase (“…rust…shall be a witness against you…”) your torment (“…shall eat your flesh…”) in hell (“…as it were fire….”)? You live with your greed, lust (“…lived in pleasure…and been wanton;…”), and all your hearts’ desires (“…nourished your hearts,…”), yet those who have done the right thing by running away from you are shot so you are not disclosed (“…killed the just;…”). Your devilish power (“…doth not resist you.”) is gained by fear (“…condemned…the just;…”) and blackmail; but I am warning you, God’s power is much stronger than Satan’s power, and each one of you who participates in this murder and ruination of honesty will be sentenced to an ETERNITY in HELL (“…miseries that shall come upon you…”) if repentance and belief in the Lord God is far from your hearts. You, yourselves, will be responsible for the outcome of your judgement – hell or heaven – on Judgement Day. On that day, you will either be delivered to the tormentors, or God will open up the gates of heaven for your entrance.

            It’s your choice: will your greed send you to an “everlasting fire” (Matthew 25: 41), or will your honest living gain you residence in the beautiful city?