An epidemic of porch pirates: We build the future by how we live in the present

Porch piracy has been an escalating problem for years. You know how it works: a delivery service leaves a package on your porch which a thief sees before you do and takes it to their house before you can take it inside yours.

As you might imagine in these days of social distancing,
more people than ever are having packages delivered to their homes. Everything
from groceries to clothes to presents is being left on our porches. And
everything left there is a target for porch pirates.

The other day, my wife went to our front door to bring
inside some groceries that had been delivered. She noticed a man walking in
front of our house who had been looking at the bags left on our porch. As soon
as she went out to pick them up, he walked away quickly.

About eleven million homeowners reported having a package
stolen in 2017; a different survey in 2018 found that almost a fifth of
Americans said they had been such a victim.

Now a new study tells us even more about these thieves in our midst. In its research, few thieves attempted to disguise themselves. Neither fences, cameras, nor vehicles parked in the driveway seemed to deter them. Some appeared to be actually following delivery vehicles.

Some carried “dummy items” such as paperwork or
packages to make them seem legitimate. In virtually every incident, a single
person took the packages. In a third of the cases, there was also an accomplice
who usually served as a getaway driver.

Especially disconcerting is the speed at which the thefts transpired. From start to finish, the researchers documented several that took less than thirty seconds to complete.

We build the future by how we live in the present

If I could speak to these thieves (and to
every other sinner such as myself), I would offer two biblical reminders:

One: “Be sure your
sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).

Even if you think no one saw your sin,
know that the Lord of the universe “knows everything” (1…