“This came to a head on Monday, but it had been going on for some time,” said Sgt. Tony Reyes, who oversaw the investigation. Based on what police have determined so far, Daniel Shwisha had been fired or forced out of the operation of the family business. That created turmoil in the family, and he perceived his parents took their elder son’s side in the dispute. Police said it would be “speculative” to conclude that that’s why Daniel Shwisha, who lived in Woodbridge, drove to Westport and killed himself in front of his parents. Reyes would not confirm whether he said anything to his parents before taking his life. No suicide note was recovered."
These were the words that confronted many in New Haven, CT. this past week as we turned to our newspapers. If we were a culture that was biblically literate, we could not miss the parallel with the story of Jacob and Esau in the book of Genesis. Despite the distance of thousands of years between the 21st century and the time of Jacob and Esau, the only thing that hasn't changed is the inherent corruption that exists within the human heart. Much like then, we see that the human propensity for jealousy and envy is still great, and continues to bring out the worst in the human family.
What happened to these two brothers; to their family system? It wasn't like they woke up one day and decided to hate one another. What were they after in the family business that created such animosity? I realize that these are very broad and deep questions which require a lot more space and words that I am not willing to commit too at this time, but such animosity begs these questions. Perhaps even more pressing is the heartache that such events create, forcing us to be introspective about the human condition. Whatever the reasons, it is obvious that these men were being oppressed by something, which their jobs held out as the ultimate source of fulfillment. And when this grand hope was threatened, the prospect of murder seemed viable in one of their mind's eye. I think that is the great tragedy of misplaced hopes: they lead us onto misplaced paths of distruction, only to find that the path we have blazed is not viable for long term travel. In fact, they lead us to dead ends. Once we arrive we know that the journey is over immediately. The idols of our heart truly do kill us and others who threaten to take them away from us! When will we learn that our human attempts at self-provision only end in destruction? Lord helps us.
These were the words that confronted many in New Haven, CT. this past week as we turned to our newspapers. If we were a culture that was biblically literate, we could not miss the parallel with the story of Jacob and Esau in the book of Genesis. Despite the distance of thousands of years between the 21st century and the time of Jacob and Esau, the only thing that hasn't changed is the inherent corruption that exists within the human heart. Much like then, we see that the human propensity for jealousy and envy is still great, and continues to bring out the worst in the human family.
What happened to these two brothers; to their family system? It wasn't like they woke up one day and decided to hate one another. What were they after in the family business that created such animosity? I realize that these are very broad and deep questions which require a lot more space and words that I am not willing to commit too at this time, but such animosity begs these questions. Perhaps even more pressing is the heartache that such events create, forcing us to be introspective about the human condition. Whatever the reasons, it is obvious that these men were being oppressed by something, which their jobs held out as the ultimate source of fulfillment. And when this grand hope was threatened, the prospect of murder seemed viable in one of their mind's eye. I think that is the great tragedy of misplaced hopes: they lead us onto misplaced paths of distruction, only to find that the path we have blazed is not viable for long term travel. In fact, they lead us to dead ends. Once we arrive we know that the journey is over immediately. The idols of our heart truly do kill us and others who threaten to take them away from us! When will we learn that our human attempts at self-provision only end in destruction? Lord helps us.