Chris Coke, John McAfee and the love of the world
Over the past ten years I've served with local churches in Belize and Jamaica after getting my feet wet on a short term mission trip to Honduras while I was in high school. Much of my time and thoughts these days go into what we're doing in Jamaica, how to get more teams involved, and how we can glorify God and expand his Kingdom on the island while striving to support local communities throughout the country.
A few years ago this guy named Christopher Coke popped up all over the news. I knew almost nothing about him until the stories broke. Coke was a Jamaican drug lord who led the 'shower posse' gang which was started by his father. The Jamaican government was made aware that the United States had a warrant out for Coke's arrest due to his responsibility for a hefty drug operation in New York. After months of Coke running from authorities and tension throughout the city of Kingston, Coke was arrested in July of 2010.
John McAfee is the founder of McAfee anti-virus. The president of our organization, Matt Pfingsten actually met him on a flight to Belize a few years ago. He's known as the pioneer of internet security and became a multi-millionaire from his ingenuity. McAfee lost much of his wealth in the market crash of 2008 and relocated to Belize, settling on Amergris Caye where he's known for his debaucherous and wild lifestyle. McAfee was arrested yesterday in Guatemala amid suspicion relating to his neighbor's murder early in November. McAfee maintains his innocence.
There is a commonality between these two men that interests me. One of the big controversies with Coke was his connection with low income neighborhoods in inner city Kingston. It's believed that much of his drug money went toward developing communities, sending children to school and helping families struggle through difficult times. These communities fought for the innocence of Coke when the Jamaican Defense Force went after him. McAfee has maintained his innocence from the killing of his neighbor and has shared that he'll give a $25,000 reward for the capture of the murderer.
Money is a powerful thing. When the heart isn't in the right place, earthly investments (legal or illegal) are in vain and result in destruction (Matthew 6:19-21). Paul shares with Timothy that the love of money is the cause of all type of evil and causes even persons in the Christian faith self-destruction (1 Timothy 6:10). The common thread between McAfee and Coke is that money seems to have had a negative affect on their lives. With Coke controlling people and entire communities and McAfee using his leverage to attempt to convince the public of his innocence, the lures of money, riches, and an extravagant lifestyle brought these men to self-destruction.
While McAfee is in the midst of fighting for his freedom, Coke sits in a US federal prison for the next 23 years. It's a poignant reminder that this world really has nothing to offer if we're to compare earthly riches to heavenly investments. That's why I persevere in the work I do- heavenly investments. I truly believe that investing in local churches across Jamaica results in treasures being stored up in heaven. People coming to Christ, churches experiencing growth, ministries to "the least of these" like homeless shelters, hospice cares, and children's homes receiving teams to encourage their work are dropping investments in God's Kingdom work.
Christopher Coke
John McAfee
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