Revolutionary Leaders

Pranks Have A Price

Phillies pitcher Kyle Kendrick was told he's being traded to Japan as a part of a hilarious prank orchestrated by Brett Myers and the Philadelphia clubhouse. Call it a right of passage or team initiation, but it made national headlines with tens of thousands of video hits on YouTube and the like. Everybody loves a good practical joke...right?

Growing up attending all the youth camps and conventions, we had plenty of time to get into trouble pulling pranks and stunts on other students, and yes, even on our Youth Pastor. We handed out atomic wedgies, toilet papered homes, forked yards, saran wrapped toilet seats...you name it, we probably tried it. Unfortunately, not everyone thought our pranks were funny. Sometimes our pranks were taken too far. When we damaged property, physically or emotionally hurt an individual, or tainted our testimony for Christ, we crossed the line from innocent fun to simply uncalled for.

A few teenagers here in New Castle learned that very lesson this past weekend when their fun turned criminal resulting in thier arrest. Five boys from our previous student ministries (2 of them student leaders and another from the worship team) were out early Sunday morning trying to scare some of their friends with what they call "works bombs". They mix a chemical with aluminum foil in a plastic bottle, throw it into someones yard, and the pressure makes the bottle explode with a gun shot type noise. It will scare the poop out of you if you're sleeping!

Obviously some folks didn't find there prank humerous and called the police. Two police cars pulled eventually pulled them over to investigate what they were up to and as they approached the car one of there "works bomb" went off in the back seat! The police officers drewn thier guns thinking they were being fired at. With lazer sites targeted on the students they demanded to see their hands and had them get out the vehicle! NOT funny! (OK. After hearing this story I laughed histerically at the kids.)

Their prank had a price. They were arrested, the car impounded, a court date scheduled, fines set, and a mark was placed on their permanent records. I don't think they'er laughing anymore. (I have to admit, I wish I could have seen the expression on those student's faces when the cops came with their weapons drawn!)