As a pastor I watch tragedies take place every day. It is heart wrenching to witness the complicated and confusing situations that exist. And the worst part is there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. Let me make it easier to understand by introducing three brothers to you. You will know these guys immediately when their names are given.

Most of the time these Brothers don’t belong in a family – but rather move in to stay for a while. In the modern day expression they “Couch Surf” – like a teenager’s coming to stay for a while, eating your food and generally making their way to the forefront of a family. You know they are there – you can’t miss them. They are big and ugly making every family that allows them in to suffer.

I have witnessed the Brothers up close. There is an older Brother and he usually comes in first. He is really BIG. His colour will likely be reddish to begin with his eyes flashing and dark. His actions are sharp and sometimes horrible. He has the potential to rip and tear then lash out at anything that is close by. If you have a cat it would be best for the cat to be outside when he comes in.

The next Brother in line is somewhat smaller but with a little more quietness to him. He will sit on the couch with arms folded and glowering at the object in front of him. “Simmering” is a good word to tell how he fits in. If you happen to be sitting on the couch when he comes in you will know it. There is almost a presence about him that hurts others. Given enough opportunity he will take the entire family down over period of time. Eventually his personage shows up in others around him. For apparently no reason they all begin to act like he does.

The little Brother of the three is very real and very much there. When he comes into a room he is quiet – real quiet in fact. He will not speak much but will possibly cry with silent tears running down his cheeks. If you are close to him on the couch you feel his pain. Worse yet it will not be long until his pain is yours. Nothing you say or do will find a change this guy. In a family he will capacitate everyone. Funny people will not be tolerated by this Brother.

You have just met the three Brothers that can kill a relationship, bust up a good family and make a great family useless. Meet Angry, Mad and Sad – in that order. These three do more to kill a family or a relationship than anything I have ever witnessed. They are the mean Brothers – Mr. Angry Mean, Mr. Mad Mean and Mr. Sad Mean. When they get a chance to sit on your couch you will not be able to watch your favorite TV Program. You will not be able to pick up a book to read. If you ignore them they will slam something down to make you notice them. If you try to reason they will lash out to make sure that you know they are right and you are wrong. Most of all they require you to enter their attitude zone – and become like they are.

Now what is so amazing is the total extent of their ability. Not only do they shut down a family but they can then reach out past the house they have taken up residence in and produce attitudes and responses in the friends that once were there for the family. They break off friendships by making family members so upset that the same loving family friend will never even call anymore. They not only don’t want to watch TV they will not call for help. Apparently Mr. Angry Mean, Mr. Mad Mean and Mr. Sad Mean are enough for them.

The sickest part of it all is that Mr. Angry Mean, Mr. Mad Mean and Mr. Sad Mean are able to reproduce themselves in someone and then move out. They leave behind hurting and horrible people that do all they can to kill relationships just like the original Brothers did.

Now I hope you are asking yourself the question… “How did they get into the family room and on to the couch in the first place?” I can’t answer that one except to suggest that maybe Miss Wounded Spirit, Mr. Over Sensitive and Old Man Don’t-Really-Give-A-Dam just let them. When that happens you will see sparks fly. You will see friendship evaporate and others taken down when the Three BIG MEAN BROTHERS come over for a visit.

I have been working on some proto types of defense weapons. If I can get the set together it will be available to every family. These weapons are the “Happiness Gun”, the “Anti Stink Bomb” and the “Big Attitude Adjuster”. Let me explain how they will work.

When the Brothers advance toward the couch you simply pull out the “Happiness Gun”, aim and fire all over the room. Don’t aim at the Brothers because many time they are just going to be that way – nothing will stop them advancing. The concept behind the “Happiness Gun” is splashing HAPPINESS all over and smearing FUN on thickly over everyone and anything in the room. The Three BIG MEAN BROTHERS will leave to find another house.

The “Anti Stink Bomb” is needed after the Big Brothers have some how left the room. It acts as an atomizer of sorts. When you pull the firing pin immediately a wonderful aroma fills the room. The fragrance is CARE. It settles on everything like a dust. As it sits there covering the objects and people it sparkles with a marvelous gold colour. Nothing in the room is the same after the “Anti Stink Bomb” is released. Objects are safe. Cats and Dogs are safe. And even family members are safe. The Stink that Three BIG MEAN BROTHERS left behind is all gone.

The “Big Attitude Adjuster” is kind of fat and longer in shape. It is amounted in the room to dispense good stuff that brings families together. It will sometimes give out Board Games that the family will play together. Other times it issues a Great Movie that can be watched together. It can dispense Hot Chocolate, Popcorn and even Hot Pizza. The products that it is offering Brings Families Together every time they are dispensed.

Warning…
Should you get a hold on how to use the weapons: the “Happiness Gun”, the “Anti Stink Bomb” and the “Big Attitude Adjuster” your room will flood full of new people that need a whole lot of what you are able to dispense to them. Your home will fill with people that just simply love to come over. If you have teenagers you may well be feeding a block full of hungry mouths. If there are no teens there any longer – it will fill with people that want to watch a movie with you or just share a coffee together.

The weapons called the “Happiness Gun”, the “Anti Stink Bomb” and the “Big Attitude Adjuster” change the zone around us.

The majority of what I have written is about a Family Room. But have you stopped to realize that a Church is the same way. An Office is the same way too. Let the Three Big Mean Brothers get a place in any of these and you have disaster looming.

I gotta run. I have a little more to do on my set of the Three Mighty Weapons today. Today I am taking them with me. I am about to encounter a broken relationship, a torn to bits teenager and broken down pastor that was torn to shreds by his really nice Christian congregation. All of them had the Brothers stay a while.

~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~