Not a Prepper

   I am not a prepper, but I love the sound of the word. Mostly because of the 1970's Dr. Pepper commercials--I'm a pepper, he's a pepper, she's a pepper, we're a pepper. Wouldn't you like to be a pepper too? Catchy commercial, I remember it after 50 years even though I do not like the taste of Dr. Pepper. I might be considered a prepper in the sense that I like to plan things in advance--I buy steak for future special occasion dinners whenever it goes on sale, we have had retirement investments and life insurance since our 30's, we both have wills, my burial wishes are on file in our pastor's office. So yes, I like to be prepared, but I am not a prepper in the way in which it is used now:  someone who expects

 a future catastrophic disaster and prepares for it by stockpiling food, ammunition, and other supplies.

 Ironically, preppers have even revealed their secret stashes on TV reality shows. Let's hope  desperate food seekers do not remember where they live when the apocalypse arrives.

     Prepping came to mind because of our pastor's message on Sunday from the last verses of Acts 11. Agabus, a prophet in the Antioch church, predicted a severe famine for the entire Roman world. The church members there responded by taking an offering for the Jerusalem church and, since Western Union was unreliable at that time, they sent the money with Saul and Barnabas. That is what they did. Here is what they did not do: hoard their money since food would be expensive during the famine, stock up on Patriot emergency food kits, or buy weapons to protect their food kits. They would suffer in the famine too, but they knew Jerusalem Christians, who had lost jobs and family support because of their faith, would suffer worse. 

    Christians are called to give generously to those in need--brothers in Christ, strangers, even enemies. The point of turning the other cheek is not so you can draw your gun. There is nothing wrong with preparing ahead of time for disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, fires and floods. We have had a lot of those lately. However, the house the supplies are stored in might not be there for the disaster after party, and 100 pounds of rice does not keep well in a flood. The Tribulation will have not only natural disasters, but supernatural disasters, demonic attacks and world war, yet there are no verses in the Bible about prepping for it. Mid-tribbers might give that some thought. The disaster Jesus spent a lot of the book of Matthew warning about was the coming siege of Jerusalem and his main message was not buy gold or extra provisions, it was do not take anything with you, run! 

    Like most things, whether prepping is good or bad is revealed by the Why. Do I think God cannot take care of me unless I handle it myself? Am I unwilling to suffer want like so much of the world does on a daily basis? Am I willing to kill people to keep provisions? And what would the Antioch Christians think of American Christians, most of whom would be ultra rich by their standards, living in fear of the future? As for me, I guess I do not like the taste of Dr. Prepper either.