Hand In Hand
- artscultureconnect
- May 29
- 10 min read
Working together, building with one purpose in mind, and knowing that people always have your back can be be most fulfilling. I am always impressed when I see teamwork produce fantastic outcomes. There's that sense of accomplishment... intentionality... and camaraderie, and when hand joins in hand in unity to achieve it, there is often a deepening degree of trust and sister or brotherhood amongst those involved.
Consider the Chile mine rescue on October 13, 2010, where 33 workers from the San Jose gold and copper mine were successfully raised from under the earth 69 days after the mine’s collapse on August 5 of that year.
The mine was approximately 2,625 feet (800 metres) deep into the mountain. A host of professionals were called upon to support rescue efforts. And according to Britannica, "by August 23, nutrient gel, water, and communication devices had been fed through holes to the men. In order to ensure the survival of the workers until they could be extracted, a cadre of experts—ranging from mental health specialists to NASA scientists—was brought to the site, joining an encampment of worried family and friends. As the days progressed, solid food was passed through the channel, as were first aid supplies, exercise routines, and lighting devices". I won't easily forget the intense prayers that went into this event. It took all of those experts, those who committed to prayer, and most of all the God of Heaven to successfully bring those trapped deep within the earth, to their freedom.
Hands connected to other hands working to sustain, protect, and deliver. Can you picture yourself involved in such critical, life saving efforts? Would you? A man by the name of Manuel González was the last of 6 rescue workers to be brought to the surface. It took the coordinated efforts of "three separate drilling rig teams; nearly every Chilean government ministry; the United States' space agency, NASA; and a dozen corporations from around the world" cooperating to complete the rescue, according to Wikipedia.
The Chilean men had millions pursing their freedom from country to country, around the globe. I cannot imagine any person or group of individuals strategizing or looking the other way - attempting to prevent their rescue. Hand in hand, every person who could play any type of role - serving food to rescuers, shipping required equipment, placing necessary phone calls - everyone enthusiastically did what it took - to bring those men to their freedom.
At this very moment, there are hundreds of thousands of children, teens, and adults who are trapped - - some trafficked, or living in abusive homes and relationships wherever in the world. Could you imagine yourself rising to the occasion to help them go free. I am certain you cannot see yourself supporting their bondage or terror. Nonetheless, I need to break this sad news to some of you - - you are complicit and even actively assisting in the entrapment of an abused, sex trafficked, or enslaved human being. Wait. Don't leave! Hear me out.
You linked up, years ago, with organizations that do good works. They support communities, they hold fund raisers for sick children. They provide scholarships. They mentor youth. They are involved in wonderful civic engagement events. You are a part of them and you are on top of your game -- moving and shaking - - a go-getter, influencer... doing it everyday!
But while you are linking hand in hand to advance these wonderful causes... by association - - turning the other way, staying in your lane, and remaining silent about what you know, you are fully collaborating with evil. In fact, you were well trained in how to achieve your collaborative efforts and feel absolutely nothing while doing it - -even as you proudly achieve and demonstrate your other 'good' works. Whoa!! "Not me!", you say. Yes you.
Remember when you were pledging for your sorority, fraternity or secret society and you were required to perform outlandish acts or do things you can never tell? You were being trained for times and situations to come... when you were all grown up... successful... and connected. You, through your hazing, pledging and secret, ungodly and (for some) frightening acts - - you were being set up to "not see or feel" a thing when called upon. Called upon by who? By your fellow brothers and sisters... your family away from blood family. You built that unshakable trust, loyalty, and commitment years ago through the secret acts they had you doing. It wasn't a game. It was to strengthen your resolve to be unashamed to commit crimes and improprieties in the open. Remember? They shamed you openly to help you get over it quickly and to build camaraderie, compromise, and the willingness to cheat, lie, steal. They infused this into your heart, life, and character. They helped you to become a professional cover-up for anything that you or others might need to do or be. They destroyed lives.
Torn Togas: The Dark Side of Campus Greek Life
Based on the author's own experiences as a member of a college sorority and her interviews with numerous persons involved in fraternity and sorority life, as well as a review of case studies, this book profiles the criminal and antisocial aspects of behavior in the context of fraternity and sorority life. Learn more here.
I am uncomfortable sharing these details with you. However, I find it essential to do so. There is a verse in the Bible that reads, "Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered." Proverbs 11:21. There are times when you are called upon to ask few questions - - but just act for - your boss at work, someone networking jobs or business deals, a cousin's poor decisions, or your society Sister or Brother's loved one who commits a crime. Don't see...Don't say... Don't feel.. Just do it. You were trained. Long ago.
The thing is, they (those leaders) already knew you would attain to and achieve greatness. They sought after people like yourself; people with big dreams, visions and the capacity to do great things with your mind, your hands, your gifts and talents. They counted on you to proudly advance through life year after year "doing you"... and "doing what you do" well. They counted on you being seen as studious, excellent, learned, and polished. What they did not want was for you to understand that it is God who determines the times of your testing, and stretching, and that it is He who would determine what your boundaries and limitations would be. God, through His Holy Spirit wanted to lead and guide you into all truth. Even today, He doesn't want to hide secrets and mysteries from you. His thoughts for you are always good and not evil to give you the end that you would be safe and happy with. He wants you to expect it when you follow and are led by HIM.
There are many who say they love God, and His Son - Jesus Christ, but they have made idols out of their own works and the great works of others. People who name Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, have made gods out of their accomplishments, their goals, their good works. It was so prevalent when Paul (in the Bible) went to Athens that he was upset about it. Check this out - Acts 17:16, 17 - 16While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply disturbed in his spirit to see that the city was full of idols. 17So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, and in the marketplace with those he met each day."
The people didn't understand the things of God. Look at this:
Acts 17: 18 - 21 -
"18Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others said, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was proclaiming the good news of Jesus and the resurrection.
19So they took Paul and brought him to the Areopagus, where they asked him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20For you are bringing some strange notions to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.”
21Now all the Athenians and foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing more than hearing and articulating new ideas."
LOL. We know how that looks today, in 2025! Everywhere there's some new way to worship something... even ourselves.
The Bible says in Acts 17:20-31 King James Version -
"22Then Paul stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that in every way you are very religious."
Paul, began to share this with the people of Athens. He said -
"23For as I walked around and examined your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription:
TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.
Therefore what you worship as something unknown, I now proclaim to you."
My friend, there are individuals within the organization that you hold dear, who do not worship the god that you do. There are many different gods worshipped by them. The strange fire that you subject yourself to, falsely informs you and those of us who follow the truth in the Word of God, that what we follow is strange. Paul told them -
"24The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands. 25Nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands.
27God intended that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. 28‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’ 29Therefore, being offspring of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s skill and imagination.
30Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent. 31For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”
You see, the Godhead - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit - do not submit themselves to what we have or can attain to. Our monetary gain, our knowledge, our success and our status do not impress Him. He's always seen that in our ignorance, we thought ourselves impressive with all of it. He winked at it - - just as you do when your 18-month-old steers their car along, believing he is the reason it turns and moves - - all while you wink. It is through God that we live, we breathe, we move, and learn and discover anything! Hahaha
It's time you understand that when you agree with, follow along with, and permit wickedness - the destruction of others' lives, crimes, stealing of jobs, cover up of abuse, lies, and corruption - God will hold YOU responsible. He will not accept your excuses. Why? because your turning of the head - so as not to see, or refusal to do justly - means that you walk hand in hand with the wicked. For this - - God says, you will not be "unpunished".
You must come out from among them and be separate. (2 Corinthians 6:17) You can no longer close your eyes to the truth. There are wonderful people doing awesome things in various organizations, and clubs. But you must also understand that you have married yourself to darkness. The very structure of entities born in secrecy, that train you to accept whatever EVIL that you hear, see and know eliminates justice where it is deserved. It positions people in places and seats where someone else belongs. It covers up crimes, and costs people their lives. And those in charge have trained you to submit to and agree to it all.
Do they bring about mitigating circumstances? Yes. Can they be trusted to bring truth? No.
Do they circumvent greatness, and the goodness of God in the lives of others? They do. Do they lie, cheat, and steal? For sure. Are children abused while they look away? Absolutely.
They are committed - to the grave - to the colors and ideologies you pledged to, back in university and college, even if it means walking in deception in the sight of God. This means that they reek of self pride. And when it comes to justice, they make the court room of no value because they are determined that things go their way. I ask - What can be the value of an interview when as a staged play, the ending was already decided? Through them murders are planned and murderers go free.
They take connecting dots to a whole new level. Through them you can connect dots around the world. They create a web - like witchcraft - of lies, and force you to joyfully honor those lies for the rest of your life. They build in their own minds, and lives, the propensity to dishonor God.
Why will you continue in this broad way? It may cost you ALL in earthly goods, but it is time you choose to fully relinquish your position in this way. Proverbs 14:12 (New American Standard Bible) tells us "There is a way which seems right to a person, But its end is the way of death".
The men of Chile - in their time of duress - found help from a well established network of leaders from around the world. I am certain that some of those leaders are connected to organizations such as yours. But when it is inconvenient and goes against the will and desire of One within your organization, will they to turn their head to not see or close their ears to not hear? This is where many find themselves today.
I know the pain of watching people in fraternities, sororities and secret societies do wickedly on behalf of others. They do not understand the broad path to destruction they take. My friend, it is not a path you need take. Seek the Lord while He can be found, and call on Him while He is near. Forsake everything that is not right and every path that leads you away from God. Isaiah 55:6,7 (NKJV) "Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon."
The price is too heavy because even though they feel confident and on top of the world today - - the Bible is true... They will not be unpunished. Walk away.
Take time to hear the denouncing of one young Woman of Delta Sigma Theta. She provides a clear, gracious message of her testimony - how she entered and exited this hard working sorority.
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