Proverbs 5

The Lord ’s eyes watch over every person’s path, observing all their ways. The wicked will be caught by their own evil acts, grabbed by the ropes of their own sin. Those without instruction will die, misled by their own stupidity (Proverbs 5:21-23 CEB).

"Avoid the Mysterious Woman" is the section heading at the top of Proverbs 5 in the Common English Bible. But for me, at least today, it's these last three verses of the chapter which connect...

"The Green Mile" is still fresh in my mind--and even more than just the film, the discussion following with perceptive and participative middle school students at around midnight last night. We talked about evil and what it looked like. And evil, unrepentent hearts. The guard, Percy, who happens to be the nephew of the governor's wife was part of our conversation, striking most of us as just as evil as the murderer "Wild Bill."  The phrase, "out of sheer petulance" came to mind this morning. Paul, the guard in-charge of death row, is sharing a glimpse into Percy's behavior with the wardon, "He mention he assaulted a prisoner this morning out of sheer petulance? Broke three fingers on Eduard Delacroix's left hand." Percy and Wild Bill are mirrors. In the end,, both are "grabbed by the ropes of their own sin." Percy shoots Wild Bill and, instead of becoming an administrator at the mental hospital has he has been planning, ends up being a patient/inmate there, in the very room where he and other guards had picked up Wild Bill for transfer to death row.