It’s not normally healthy to be suspicious of others, or to question something that might be slightly unusual. But in this case, it saved a man’s life, and possibly many more lives besides.
A German worker at a metal fittings company happened to notice a strange white powder sprinkled on his lunch. Thinking quickly, he notified his superiors of the incident, and even more wisely, he didn’t eat the lunch. And it’s a good thing he didn’t! Testing revealed the strange white powder to be lead acetate, a highly toxic, almost tasteless substance.
Who would have poisoned his lunch? When management had initially watched surveillance video, they were surprised to see one of his coworkers sprinkling the powder on his meal. At first, they thought it was an ill-advised prank, but when the test results came in, they realized that it was attempted murder. A man only identified as Klaus O, who had worked at the company for 38 years, was arrested.
Scary Discovery
Then they began to think ... since the year 2000, 21 employees had died, many from cancer and heart attacks. Not only that, two more employees were seriously ill, one in a coma for two years and another on dialysis. One of the known effects of lead poisoning is organ failure. In fact, the local police were quoted as saying that the powder had enough lead acetate “in amounts that would have been sufficient to cause serious organ damage.”
When police searched the employee’s home, they found ingredients for making poison, including mercury, lead and cadmium. Now, a 15-member homicide squad is deciding whether they should exhume other bodies as part of the investigation.
What kind of employee was this 56-year-old suspect? Another employee who worked with him for 30 years said, “He always stayed by himself, did not speak and had no friends.” Tilo Blechinger, the manager, stated that the suspect was “conspicuously inconspicuous.”
Imagine that! Someone who just came to work day after day and just did his job without causing any stir or drawing any attention to himself. A quiet person. A loner. The one who you would never suspect! And yet, as the years went by, people were dying all around him, now it seems, slowly being poisoned to death by heavy metals. What an absolute tragedy!
The Bigger Tragedy
There is a tragedy of an even greater scale going on today. It is a tragedy that has been going on through the annals of time, down through the many centuries. People are being spiritually poisoned to death, and just like the factory employees above, they don’t even realize it. Jesus describes it this way: “The cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful” (Mark 4:1919And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. (Mark 4:19)).
What exactly does this mean? “The cares of this world” describes those who are so busy with daily living that their lives are a whirlwind of activity — so busy that they don’t have time to think or even consider their soul’s destiny. Then there is the “deceitfulness of riches” — this describes those who are driven to make as much money as they can, thinking that this will give them happiness and peace. The “lusts of other things entering in” — this is the consuming desire for anything the world around can give us — whether it be material possessions, a position of prominence in our community or church, political power, fame, or the love of pleasure and a “good time.” This also includes false beliefs in religious goodness — thinking that following a formula as to how to please God will be good enough for Him to let you into heaven. All of these things will poison your mind and heart about being made right with God and will send you to a lost eternity forever. Jesus will then have to say to you, “I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:2323And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:23)).
Unpoisoned Truth
The unpoisoned truth as to salvation and your soul’s eternal well-being is this: We have all sinned and are unfit for the presence of a righteous and holy God. “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)). God saw our hopeless condition and sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, to bleed and die on Calvary’s cross for our sins, and to redeem us to God. “When we were yet without strength ... Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:66For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)). “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). Now the work of redemption is complete; there is nothing we can do to add to it — we just have to accept it and believe it in our heart. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)). “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:99That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9)). Why not receive God’s gift of salvation today, and then go and tell others what great things He has done for you!
There are many more clever attempts to deceive that are being exposed, including fascinating ones detailed in Caught in the Act of Smuggling.