Watching Closely

It's probably a rare day when the World Series of Poker cancels a big tournament.  After all, there's no shortage of players in this day and age.  But the WSOP did exactly that in Ohio - for a surprising reason.



Courtesy WXIX-TV

An upcoming 12-day event was canceled because Horseshoe Casino didn't have proper security cameras in place.  The tournament would have been played in a big banquet hall, in stead of the regular poker room.

You may never think about them when you're playing, but many poker rooms have cameras watching and recording the action.  In Ohio, a state commission uses them to prevent cheating.

We recall hearing church pastors years ago warning against such things.  They said surveillance cameras inside businesses and along streets would take away U.S. residents' "right to privacy" - along the lines of "Big Brother watching you" in the classic George Orwell novel 1984.

But that argument struck us as strange, especially from ministers, because of what the Bible says about "government surveillance". That phrase isn't in any translation we've seen. but consider this....

The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good. - Proverbs 15:3

His eyes are on the steps of men; he sees their every step. - Job 34:21

Does the thought of God watching you scare you?  If it does.... well, good. If it persuades you to do things in a godly way, even better.

For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done - Matthew 16:27

How can God and Jesus Christ hand out rewards if They aren't keeping score of what you do in some way?

We concluded the ministers were missing a bigger issue with security cameras - that from God's point of view, the "right to privacy" ultimately does not exist.  He's monitoring the games we play in our lives (whether at the poker table or away from it), and will make sure the final outcome is fair.

...Let them sing before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity. - Psalm 98:9

Long before anyone dreamed of a Santa Claus, God was seeing people as they were sleeping. He knows when they're awake.  He knows if they've been bad or good.  So be good in the poker room.... ultimately for God's sake