people do something, it’s me . . . . Understand, I don’t have to take the blame for this, but I don’t live that way. They said deliver up Jjara, who tried to get the man back here. Jjara, whose mother’s been lying on him and lying on him and trying to break up this family and they’ve all agreed to kill us by any means necessary. You think I’m going to deliver them Jjara? Not on your life. No.
Crowd: No! No!
Unidentified Man: Is there any way if I go, that it’ll help?
Jim Jones: No, you’re not going. You’re not going.
Crowd: No! No!
Jim Jones: Not going. I can’t live that way. I cannot live that way.
For
“I’ve lived for all and I’ve died for all.”
—Jim Jones
These words should be the mantra of our lives. The path of Jesus is about living for all and dying for all. The problem with Jim Jones is that living for all shouldn’t include killing all. Jones said these words right before extermination. What if Jones had really meant these words? Can you imagine if Jones had followed the path of Jesus and offered himself as a sacrifice for the betterment of the community? Jones was too scared for that. With his health failing and serious legal issues approaching, Jones was ready to commit suicide . . . he just didn’t want to do it alone. There is no sacrifice here. There is only cowardice. As time ran out, Jones’ words were proven void. Jones didn’t live for all. Jones didn’t die for all. Like at every other moment of his life, Jones was going to take care of himself. Surely, we can live differently?
Amen.
Crowd: Applause
Hope
“I’ve been living on a hope for a long time, . . .”
—Jim Jones
Hope is not all that complicated of a construct. When we find it, we’re alive. When we don’t, we’re dead. There is no life apart from hope. Hope is God. God is Hope. When I hear Jim Jones’ words, I struggle to believe him. I know what was about to happen and so did he. Hope is about life not death. A synonym exposes the lie, “I’ve been living on a God for a long time . . .” Jones hadn’t been living “on a God” for a very long time . . . if at all. In the midst of the deceit, it’s important to remember that the lies of the speaker cannot destroy the possible truth of their words. “I’ve been living on a hope for a long time . . .”
Amen.
Jim Jones: Christine, and I appreciate–
Agitation
“You’ve always been a very good agitator. I like agitation because you have to see two sides of one issue . . .”
—Jim Jones
People consistently talk about their love for agitators . . . as they express their hate for agitation. For Jim Jones, there wasn’t ever two sides to any issue. There was only one side, his. In this context, it seems like Jones is simply trying to manipulate Christine Miller in their final exchange. He compliments her in order to kill her. Can you imagine how many people complimented Jesus? Where were they in the end? Why didn’t they try to save his life? Beware of compliments . . . sometimes they’re lethal.
Amen.
Jim Jones: . . . two sides of the question. What’s those people gonna get done once they get through?
Hell
“They make our life worse than hell . . .”
—Jim Jones
Paranoia engulfed Jim Jones. Enemies were everywhere. Jones acted increasingly irrationally. I’m not sure that you can say that their enemies made their life worse than hell. I think it would be more accurate to say that Jones made their life worse than hell. The evil was always within. Before you start blaming your enemies for your hell, make sure you’re sure that you don’t need to blame yourself.
Amen.
Jim Jones: . . . , they’ll make the Russians not accept us. When they get through lying . . . They told so many lies between there and that truck that we are, we are done in as far as any other alternative.
Christine Miller: Well, I say let’s make an airlift to Russia, that’s what I say.
Belief
“I don’t think nothing is impossible, if you believe it.”
—Christine Miller
In a very public final engagement with Jim Jones, Christine Miller tried to save Jonestown. Miller’s words were words of tremendous beauty. She believed that hope could hold back evil. The community wasn’t having it. Eventually, Jones and the others cut her off. Many would say that failed. Everybody did still die. I think it’s unfair to judge Miller in such a way. Her words should be judged in context. As death approached, Miller’s hope was the last hopeful words many would ever hear. The words followed the listeners to eternity . . . for hope is always immortal.
Amen.
Jim Jones: But how we gonna air . . . How’ re you going to airlift to Russia?
Christine Miller: Why, I thought they said if we got in an emergency, they gave you a code to let them know.
Jim Jones: No, they didn’t. They gave us the code that they’d let us know of an issue, not us create an issue for them. They said if we . . . if they saw the country coming down, they’d agreed they’d give us the code, they’d give us a code. You can check on there and see if it’s on the code. Check with Russia to see if they’ll take us in immediately. Otherwise we die. I don’t know what else you say to these people. But to me death is not . . .
Fearful
“ . . . death is not a fearful thing . . .”
—Jim Jones
Repeatedly, Jim Jones used the promises of God to manipulate his followers. Though God tells us to never fear death, God didn’t tell us to chase it. Jones said these words a short time before everyone died. These moments were not about God. These moments were about the false divinity of Jones. People shouldn’t have feared death . . . Jones was the one they should have feared. Quietly, I’m sure they did.
Amen.
Jim Jones: . . . , it’s living that’s treacherous . . .
Crowd: Applause
Never
“I have never, never, never, never seen anything like this before in my life.”
-Jim Jones
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