My Mistake

My youngest son Preston was born in Akron, Ohio in 2004 and of course when someone is born in the United States you have go through the process of ordering a birth certificate. We filled out the paperwork with the City of Akron. We mailed in the check, which was deposited by them. And then we waited... and waited... and waited. No birth certificate ever came. At around the time of Preston's 6 month birthday I decided to give someone a call. The person I reached within the city bureaucracy of Akron told me I would have to fill out the form again and send another check. Obviously I was not pleased with that response. After a few more phone calls (and a very fruitful e-mail) the mistake was discovered and an official copy of Preston's birth certificate was sent to us. The whole event confirmed my prejudice that government bureaucracy is a nightmare... bloated, unproductive, and a waste of taxpayers money.

When the government made another mistake involving my State of Illinois income tax this year I was convinced here was another case of bloated bureaucracy not able to get anything right. Four-times-a-year I send a estimated payment of my state income tax to Springfield. That amount is always the same. But somehow their records showed that one of those four payments was only for $59.97. $59.97? What planet are they from? My check for the correct amount had been deposited. I had a copy of the canceled check. I sent to Springfield my paperwork in May showing them their error and of course I waited... and waited... and waited. I hear nothing at all. No money shows up in my checking account. I thought, "what a mixed up government we have." Last night as I was filling out the cryptic forms and writing out two checks for renewing my Illinois licence plates I thought to myself: "Well it's only by faith that this going to work without any problems." Cynical Tony.

Today I received a phone call from a gentleman from the Illinois Department of Revenue. After playing some phone tag we got to speak to one another for a few minutes. The man's detective work and questions shed a light on my situation I never expected in a million years. Bloated bureaucracy didn't make a mistake: I did. I mistakenly sent to the Illinois tax man in June 2007 the $59.97 check I had written for my gas bill and mistakenly mailed my quarterly tax payment to the gas company. (No wonder I had that credit on my natural gas account last summer.) Now, I'm not totally to blame here: It was the bloated bureaucracy of government, utilities, and my bank that allowed those checks to go through to the wrong places. But I do admit that it was my hands that placed those checks in the wrong envelopes and my tongue that licked them closed.

It was also my mind that found satisfaction in blaming some faceless bureaucracy for my problems. It was my mind that took some solace in thinking poorly of a government that would "steal" money from me and never think twice. I was wrong.

Martin Luther was profound in his views about Christians blaming others or thinking poorly of their neighbor without just cause. When explaining his views about the commandment against bearing false witness against your neighbor he wrote: "We are to fear and love God, so that we do not tell lies about our neighbors, betray or slander them, or destroy their reputations. Instead we are to come to their defense, speak well of them, and interpret everything they do in the best possible light."

I did not act this way when it came to the Illinois Department of Revenue. I am sorry. And I pray God forgives me.