TRASH!

Archaeologists have been pottering around in the ancient sewers below Herculaneum, one of those towns that, along with Pompei, was buried by the volcanic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD. In the sewers, they are searching, sifting through sacks of—guess what?—excrement. Apparently they discovered the largest accumulation of the good stuff in the Roman world: 750 sacks. Antique excrement. Probably worth a lot. Or so those experts claim.

And even if they were right, trash, excrement or otherwise, can be quite a problem.

They say Americans produce, on average, 150 million tons of garbage every year. That works out to be about 3 lbs of garbage per person each day. At this rate, the average U.S. person will generate 90,000 lbs in his/her lifetime!

Even outer space has not been spared; it’s fast becoming an extraterrestrial garbage heap. Over 15,000 pieces of flotsam and jetsam, from tiny paint flecks to huge 10-ton spent rocket stages, all whizzing around at 5 miles per second. That, folks, is at least ten times as fast as a bullet. Space junk. Dangerous junk.

Scientists warn of an imminent “Kessler effect”—a.k.a. “collisional cascading” or “ablation cascade,” put forth by NASA scientist Donald Kessler in the late 70s. The effect is this: with a high enough density of objects in “low Earth orbit” collisions between these debris could have a snowballing effect, each collision producing more particles of debris that increase the possibility of more collisions that produce more debris that cause more collisions that produce ….

Gosh, that might even render the use of satellites unfeasible, not to mention space exploration endeavors.

Yup, the Kessler syndrome is one dangerous possibility.

In more ways than one.

One thing leads to another and before you know it, there is a cascade. Of garbage and debris.

Of sin, too ….

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident,

which are: immorality, impurity,

sensuality,  idolatry, sorcery,

enmities, strife, jealousy,

outbursts of anger, disputes,

dissensions, factions, envying,

drunkenness, carousing,

and things like these.

Galatians 5:19–21

Sin begets sin. Little by little. Slowly but surely. One after the other.

The Kessler syndrome. The collisional cascade.One thing leads to another.

But those who want to get rich

fall into temptation and a snare

and many foolish and harmful desires

which plunge men into

ruin and destruction. 

For the love of money

is a root of all sorts of evil,

and some by longing for it

have wandered away from the faith and

pierced themselves with many griefs.

1 Timothy 6:9–10

Yup, one thing leads to another and before we know it, we’re slip slidin’ away into “many griefs.”

But if you have bitter jealousy

and selfish ambition in your heart,

do not be arrogant and

so lie against the truth.  … 

For where jealousy

and selfish ambition exist,

there is disorder and every evil thing.

James 3:14–16

Veering dangerously into “every evil thing.”

Kessler was right. But we can work it to our advantage. Peter said it well:

Now for this very reason also,

applying all diligence,

in your faith supply moral excellence,

and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 

and in your knowledge, self-control,

and in your self-control, perseverance,

and in your perseverance, godliness, 

and in your godliness, brotherly kindness,

and in your brotherly kindness, love.

2 Peter 1:5–7

You know, maybe it’s a good thing that one thing can lead to another!

For if these qualities are yours

and are increasing,

they render you neither useless

nor unfruitful in the true knowledge

of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:8

Let’s Kesslerize: let one good thing lead to another!