This past Friday I saw picture after picture of brooms standing up on their bristles. Word must have gotten out that with the storms coming through, the atmospheric conditions were favorable for broom standing. So I tried to make my broom stand up, too. But something was wrong. I had no success. Obviously, many others did. The fact that their brooms stood unassisted was confirmed by the overwhelming photographic evidence.
The biggest question in all of this is “Why?” why did they stand? Was it the magnetic field of the earth? Was it the atmospheric pressure? Were the planets aligned just right? Was it the moon’s gravitational force? Was it supernatural?
Allow me to make one simple observation. My broom is old, ragged, and used. The brooms I saw standing up were “new” looking. Could it be that instead of some force causing them to stand, that it was simply the clean, even, soft bristles spreading out to support a modern broom, i.e., a balancing act?
I can't help but make note of how quickly this phenomenon spread through social media. I also can't help but notice the blind eye to reason that many had, simply because they were “wowed” by a parlor trick. It's harmless when it comes to fun and games (barring the “supernatural” reasons some gave).
It's deadly when it comes to religion.
Many will unsuspectingly jump into a religious fad without even giving a second to reasonable, rational thought. Superstition and mysticism blind the eyes of many, keeping them from seeing the truth (cf. Ephesians 4:17-19). Sadly, many spend their entire lives trapped in Satan's lies, simply because they didn't take even a moment to examine their beliefs (cf. 2 Corinthians 13:5). They failed to ask the single most dangerous yet liberating question anyone can ask his or herself about their beliefs: Why?
On the other hand, truth is reasonable, and rational (cf. Hebrews 11:1). Consider Paul's words in Acts 26:25:
“(25) But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words.”
(Acts 26:25, ESV)
How about you?
-Daniel
An old parlor trick ! Any broom will stand if its bristles are spread, trimmed level and square. Many folks live in darkness by their refusal to listen to reason and revelation. Good lesson, Daniel .
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