The following is from the March 23, 1992 issue of Newsweek in their “Perspectives” section, page 21. Someone in the Department of Social Services in Greenville County, South Carolina mindlessly adapted a form letter and sent the following communication to a dead person:
“Your food stamps will be stopped effective March 1992, because we have received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances.”
That article is both funny and sad. I like the part from the form letter that said they could reapply if they have a change of circumstances. What would be a dead person’s change of circumstance? Until Christ comes, there is no change. And if there was, they would still never need food stamps again. This poorly thought out letter gives me a hopeful thought; that through Jesus we can have a change of circumstances. That’s a good thing. If you haven’t noticed, this world is filled with sorrow, pain, and death. Without Jesus those circumstances are the only ones we have to look forward to. But with Jesus, we can look forward to a wonderful change of circumstance; one that does not include pain, sorrow, death, or even food stamps.
