Drinking the Koolaid

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the tragedy at Jonestown where 900+ people died from cyanide laced grape Koolaid. I watched some videos this morning from that time, and discovered that my kids (ages 15 & 14) had never heard about it.

I had just turned 16 when Jonestown happened and remember it well. I'd say that most of us (of a certain age) remember watching with horror as images from Guyana were aired. How could something like that have happened? What were those people thinking?

Well, it turns out that many of them were not thinking that they wanted to end their lives. From what I learned today, many were injected with cyanide against their will and many others under intense psychological pressure were "led" to the buckets for a drink.

In watching interviews of folks who survived Jonestown, it's clear that many (including Jim Jones' son) who disagreed with much of what went on there. Jones' son still believed he could accomplish something good with the people he loved in spite of his father's abuse and madness. He told reporters that those people were the only folks he'd known his entire life. How could he leave them?

If you're around my age you probably grew up drinking Koolaid. Who didn't? Koolaid, like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches was a kid staple. Drinking Koolaid was a good thing - a normal thing. Ironically, it's probably someone around my age who coined the phrase "drinking the Koolaid" to mean something bad - something not normal - and a clear reference to Jonestown. Funny, how things can get turned around...

With that in mind, maybe there's no more appropriate phrase than "drinking the Koolaid." Jim Jone's church began as a good thing. Jones had a vision for racial equality. He wanted to found an authentic, loving community of people. But things went wrong, got out of hand. Jones forgot who he was and who the people were - and to whom they really belonged - and the result was tragic and frightening. It's still frightening, because it's a common story. Everyone (given the proper set of circumstances) is vulnerable to this kind of thing happening. There are warnings in today's Lectionary for leaders:

Luke 17: 1Jesus said to his disciples, "Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! 2It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3Be on your guard!

James 3:1-10: 1Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. 3If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. 4Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits.
How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! 6And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, 8but no one can tame the tongue?a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. 10From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so.

Enough said.