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Here’s something I’ll bet you didn’t know.  When it rains on a Sunday morning, white-collar crimes and substance abuse increase.  I didn’t know that. This was reported on the Religion News Service (thank you Ellen Idler for telling me about this service).  The article cites a study from the Review of Economics and Statistics.  The article asserts that when people stay away from worship because of rain, alcohol and substance abuse and white-collar crime increase. I suppose that makes sense.  Sadly. The good news in all this is that going to church helps keep us good!  I am in our church from about 7:45 AM till after noon on Sundays.  I can honestly say that I don’t commit any crimes nor do I abuse drugs or alcohol during those hours.  For me, then, this seems to be working.  A crime prevention program?  How about going to church! Jesus said the rain falls on the just and unjust alike.  However, it would seem that when the rain falls on some people, it makes them unjust, when they would have been just had the rain not come! In 1 Thessalonians we are told to warn (admonish) the idle.  It appears that there is good reason for this!  If we are idle, our brains cook up schemes that are not in our best interests.  There is an old saying, “The  Devil makes work for idle hands to do.”  (This is not in the Bible)  Here’s a thought – to reduce crime, let’s put a hymnbook in those idle hands! Please pray with me.  “Dear Lord, we want o be good.  We want to be counted among the righteous.  Without you, we fail.  Grab hold of us, make us your own, purify us and use us to your honor.  We ask in Jesus’ name.  Amen.”