I have a fairly vivid imagination.  This is a gift and a curse.  I had a lot of imaginary little friends when I was young and even toyed with a couple different personalities to the amusement of my brothers.  Imagination is wonderful when I am reading the Bible.  Imagination is sometimes terrible when I am reading the Bible.  For example, this week we are studying the death of John the Baptist.  I have had to meditate on the evil of this situation and tried to imagine what it was like for John and his followers.  Because I want a happy ending I like to imagine a different ending to the story than the one Matthew recorded.  My ending is more “Braveheart” style.  In my ending, there is an epic scene where Jesus learns of the injustice about to be committed and He and the boys (disciples) mount up on winged horses and ride into Herod’s birthday party just in time.  The ax is about to drop on John’s neck but Jesus zaps the executioner with a bolt of Divine power.  While Herod and Herodias are trying to flee the wrath of the righteous King, their heads get lopped by Orcs who were chased from the Shire by Gandalf the Grey.   How’s that for a crazy epic ending?  Just imagine what I’ll be like if I ever have dementia!  Matthew’s ending is not quite that epic.  Without any compassion or commentary, John the Baptist is executed to satisfy the power lust of a scorned puppet queen.  I don’t like it at all.  If that was the end of the whole story, I wouldn’t like Jesus very much either.  It seems like a good and mighty King would save his own cousin and take out the tyrant.  But thankfully, this is not the end of the whole story and there are some helpful reminders throughout the Word to help us deal with the injustice we often see in this life.  Lord willing, we’ll see you Sunday for “That Stinks!”