Of Serpents and Traitors

So I got accused of being the traitor tonight in Shadows over Camelot. Unfairly accused, may I add. In fact, we lost the game because of the accusation. (Shadows is a corroborative game where everyone is on the side of good, except possibly a lone hidden traitor.)

Playing the traitor is something of an art because it requires playing loyally enough not to be discovered as the traitor, but subtly manipulate the progress of the game such that evil wins. Sometimes I associate cunning and treacherous together. And then I associate brave, simple, and good together. Darth Sidious single-handedly conquered an entire Republic and destroyed the Jedi through cunning. Yoda and Obiwan were brave and noble, but not very cunning. (Hrm, I seem to be a StarWars analogy kick.)

Here's a few quotes I'm thinking about tonight. It's worth reading them in context.

The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. - Jesus

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. - Paul

I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. - Jesus

He [Jesus] went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, ... and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' - Jesus

The last one especially catches my attention: The Greek word for 'folly' is afrosune: senselessness, recklessness, thoughtlessness. (No, I don't know Greek. But I read English well here . Essentially, Jesus is calling folly evil.

Am I committed to doing good with my mind? Do I plot good? Do I seek to understand the ways of the Jedi council and how they may be thwarted despite themselves? Or do I simply draw my sword, plunge into battle, and trust that courage and good intentions will save the day? How do I encourage others to think?

This line of thinking scare me because it empowers people, and makes the intentions of our hearts all the more critical. A powerless person can do very little evil (or good), regardless of their intention. A crafty person has enormous power and the use of that power is dependent upon their character. I often prefer to surround myself with helpless people so that I don't need to trust God's work in their lives to restrain them from hurting me.