Alan Gross was
imprisoned in Cuba for five years, convicted of smuggling banned Internet
technology and smartphones into the country. The president of the United States
helped to get him released after he had served one-third of his 15-year
sentence.
When arrested, Gross was working as
a U.S. government subcontractor, delivering electronic equipment to Cuba’s
small Jewish community. His time in jail was clearly an ordeal, but once
released, he did a surprising thing: he demanded millions of dollars from the
U.S. government.
Yes, Gross blamed our government for
injuries he says he suffered in jail. He asked for compensation from the very
same government that got him out of jail and probably saved his life. This was
after Gross had already collected a multimillion-dollar settlement from the
State Department. He received an additional payment from his contracting firm,
and of course, he was paid while in jail — over $500,000.
According to Sandy Goodman, a
retired producer for NBC Nightly News,
“The U.S. government gave Alan Gross back his life, his freedom, millions of
dollars and celebrity treatment. In exchange, he and his wife are suing the
government in the Supreme Court to collect even more millions.”
His attitude, says Goodman, is
nothing less than “Gross ingratitude.”1
No thanks
Gratitude is a quality that is in
short supply these days. While not everyone is guilty of gross ingratitude, many people fail to be thankful for the many
good gifts they receive each day. Between God’s gifts and their response lies a
gratitude gap.
“A society t
...approximately 1,623 words remaining. You are not logged in. Please see options at the top of this page to view complete sermon.
