The Copper Bandits

The price of copper on the world market has soared over the past couple of years. This presents great challenges for Kenya's telecommunication industry. Almost the entirety of their telephone lines are copper. Over the past six months, thieves have cashed in on the value of the telephone line. It started with a couple of phones here and there.

A customer would wake up in the morning with their line out of order. Upon investigation it was discovered that the line had disappeared- hundreds of meters at a time. Soon the case of the disappearing telephone lines spread to entire neighborhoods.

On my most recent visit to Kenya, the problem had become endemic. Entire regions of the city comprising tens of thousands of telephone lines have vanished.

The standard solution? Kenya's telecommunication system has decided not to replace the missing lines because of the exorbitant costs involved. So consumers are forced to rely on their cell phones. Landlines are are becoming a rare commodity.

The guilty culprits? Disgruntled employees who have been sacked in recent months. They understand the value of these lines and how to quickly excavate them in the middle of the night. The moral of the story? Keep your cell phone readily available in order to report any copper thieves pilfering your land line.

Internal sabotage has to be the worst. It's one thing to loose everything to a rival or adversary. While tragic such tactics are expected. It's an entirely different thing, however, to loose everything from self-inflicted stupidity.

Over the past year I've been considering the power of the purpose of God. Isaiah 14:27 says it well "For the Lord Almighty has purposed and who can thwart Him?" Hell can't stop God's purpose. Finances can't thwart it. Other people can't stop it. God's purpose will prevail. God's purpose will triumph. Phil 2:13 "It is God who works in you both to will and to act according to His GOOD purpose."

However, I'm also very aware that God's purpose depends on our cooperation. One verse previous in Phil 2:12 Paul reminds the people of God that they have a responsibility "to work out their salvation." What a fascinating picture: God works His purpose in us so that we can cooperate with Him in working His purpose out of us. Don't self-sabotage the communication line in your life. God's purpose requires our full participation.

Here's hoping your home phone line doesn't go missing!