Copper thieves gathered one night last week beside train tracks in New York City. The thieves snatched 500 feet of copper cable from the tracks!

Commuter railways can’t run without copper. It carries electricity to the tracks. Copper is worth three dollars a pound right now. Ten years ago, it was worth only 80 cents a pound. Thieves think the raised price makes it the perfect item to steal.

But stealing copper isn’t smart—at all. It’s against the law, of course. But it’s also very dangerous. First, thieves have to go onto the train tracks. That’s never safe. Then they have to pull up the wire, which could easily electrocute them. Their crime also endangers passengers who could become injured if the trains fail. A little extra money isn’t worth that!

Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor . . . so that he might have something to share with anyone in need. —Ephesians 4:28