This was an interesting news item:

A Minnesota man was eating a hot dog at a hockey game last month. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and tossed the remains in the trash. Authorities then used DNA on the napkin to tie him to an unsolved murder from 1993.

The takeaway lessons are:

Don’t go to hockey games.

Finish your hot dog.

If you don’t finish the dog, do not throw your leftovers in the trash.

Right?

Oops, I don’t think those are appropriate takeaways.

Perhaps some better ones would be:

“You shall not murder” (the Ten Commandments).

“You may be sure that your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). Delayed judgement isn’t a pass. In His time God will punish evil and reward God in the perfect expression of justice and mercy.

Recognize that though few of us have committed the actual crime of murder, we’ve all sinned against God, hurt others, and disappointed ourselves.

Be thankful for God’s love, Jesus’ death and resurrection, the opportunity to repent and believe, God’s forgiveness, and Jesus’ help to live a different kind of life.

Be thankful for God’s provision of freedom from guilt and shame, and His enabling for us to have a fresh start (be “born again,” John 3) and become a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Embrace God’s plan for us to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.