Whatsoever a Man Soweth, That Shall He Also Reap
Opinion Piece By Molly Krempski
I have been asked by several people, who are already bothered by the warehouse construction traffic on Route 34, how I feel about Costco coming to Yorkville. I hadn’t put much thought into it, so each time I responded by throwing up my hands and saying, “Well, it’s better than a pot shop.” Fresh in my heart was gratitude that several recent attempts to bring marijuana dispensaries into Yorkville had failed. After further reflection, I’d like to explain the reasoning behind my comment.
A grocery and household essentials warehouse is better than a pot shop (or another bar, or a strip club, or another place to gamble) because bringing a grocery and household essentials store into town doesn’t prioritize tax revenue over the welfare of the people. It's possible, annoying but possible, to navigate Costco traffic, but it's not possible to sow oppression without reaping judgment. God tells us that “whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7b), and denying our Creator’s laws will not render them void. The inconvenience of traffic congestion caused by a warehouse that deals in morally benign goods doesn’t begin to compare to the effects that oppressive and unconstitutional community planning has on a city.
The Preamble to the Illinois Constitution states that Illinois was formed in gratitude to Almighty God and that it relies upon His blessing to function.
Populating Yorkville with businesses that offer products and services that draw people further and further away from God’s plan for His creation will eventually disqualify the city from receiving such a blessing, and in the meantime, it derails individuals. We will not be able to escape the consequences of permitting new or existing businesses to offer products or services that lead people into unrighteousness. We can try to reclassify and rezone shady commodities while promising to patrol various establishments, but nothing can be hidden from God. He sees what can’t be seen by men, and He’s never persuaded by the new terms we like to invent to whitewash our choices.
There is life, liberty, and blessing in places where God is genuinely sought. In areas where God and His commands are forgotten, there is bondage, crime, and death. It’s an unfruitful endeavor to attempt to run a city on tax revenue earned by exploiting the poor, weak, or impressionable with opportunities to indulge sexual perversions or become addicted to various activities or substances. These offerings oppress our neighbors, whom God has commanded us to liberate. The God with the power to speak the universe into existence is the same God who promises that we will reap what we sow. “The LORD is a God who avenges. Does He who fashioned the ear not hear? Does He who formed the eye not see? Does He who disciplines nations not punish? Does He who teaches mankind lack knowledge? The Lord knows all human plans; He knows that they are futile.” (Psalm 94:1a, 9-11)
Our founding documents, which include the Illinois Constitution and Bible for this discussion, both attest that our well-being hinges upon our willingness to individually and collectively turn away from our wicked and oppressive ways and submit to Jesus Christ, who calls us to love God and to love our neighbors, so that we might instead reap the abundant blessing HE has sown for us through His sacrifice. Fighting Costco traffic is admittedly frustrating, but fighting God by trading the welfare of the people for tax income from businesses that kill and destroy leads to consequences of an entirely different magnitude. Let's, as our IL Preamble states, focus our efforts on preserving our status as a community blessed by God, taking care not to provoke Him by sowing seeds of destruction.
Molly Krempski