Theft has affected virtually every person in society. From the corporate big wigs to the innocent impoverished person who pays higher prices at the register theft affects everyone in society.

Sometimes, there is a little poetic justice. As a devoutly religious man, I would like to think God had played a role in the following story.

With things tough all over and copper prices at near-historic highs, copper theft has become a national epidemic. Copper wiring has been disappearing from under America's city streets. Catalytic converters are being chopped from cars. Thieves are climbing power poles and tearing up homes to get to precious wiring.

The U.S. Department of Energy disclosed recently that 30,000 pounds of the stuff were boosted from the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.

A lower-profile victim was the Cathedral of Prayer Church of God in Christ in Columbus, Ga. Three weeks ago, an unidentified person or persons heedless of the Eighth Commandment stripped the copper in the church's air-conditioning system. This was totally uncool both because both stealing is wrong and to leave people without air conditioning in Georgia in August.

Like Winning the Lottery

A few days ago, the collection plate was passed around and another unidentified person dropped a solution: a winning ticket from the Georgia Lottery. The church cashed it at the lottery office and took away $80,000. The church will put the money toward repairing the system.

Stealing is a horrible thing that costs each one of us more than we realize. This story had a happy ending. Sometimes the good guys do win. Still, be kind to your fellow man and don’t steal!