Perceptions #200121

"Wasted Lives: Timothy McVeigh"

by Mark Pugh

Last Monday morning, Timothy McVeigh was executed through lethal injection. What he did by blowing up the Murrah building in Oklahoma City was a real travesty. Despite his execution, the lives of hundreds of people will never be the same. This is truly an American tragedy.

In this article, I want to explore another aspect of this tragedy. It is repeated every day in the lives of far too many young people. Young people with tremendous talents and great intellect, but whose lives are wasted. Wasted because of drunk driving or drug abuse or promiscuous sexuality or racial hatred.

You see, Timothy McVeigh was a young man whose life had tremendous potential. Just like every human being on the face of the earth, he was created in God's image. He had a highly commendable stint in the military. He was decorated for his accomplishments. He was a likeable young man who could have done great things. Instead, he will go down in the annals of our history with the likes of Benedict Arnold and James Earl Ray...men everyone likes to hate.

What happened to make his life go so wrong? The very same thing that has happened to countless young people down through time. The very same thing that can happen to any of us. He allowed darkness to enter and control his heart and life.

The question for us is, "Who will control my life?" Will it be God or will it be Satan? With God in control, there is no limit to the good that can be done. With Satan in control, there is no limit to the evil that can be done. As Joshua challenged Israel so long ago, "Choose you this day whom you will serve!"

top of page    previous article    Perceptions Index