A surveillance video records the words exchanged by a would-be robber and a MetroPCS store clerk in Florida. This is the transcript of the clipped video that ABC has up:

Robber: Don't get scared.

Clerk: I'm not.

Robber: OK, Stay nice and calm.

Clerk: You can do whatever you what. I'm going to talk to you about the Jesus I have.

Robber: What?

Clerk: The Jesus I got, before you leave.

Robber: God bless you for that.

Clerk: I'm Christian and...

Robber: So am I. I absolutely hate doing this.

Clerk: I don't know if you have family.

Robber: That's why I'm doing this.

Clerk: You know what? I can try to help you find a job. I have a lot of friends at church...

Robber: I have a job.

Clerk: You do? Why are you doing this?

Robber: Because I'm going to be evicted if I don't come up with $300.

...

Robber: Then I wouldn't be hurting you. I'm sorry. I have to take every cent, I'm sorry.

Clerk: They will charge me for it.

Robber: They'll charge you for it?

Clerk: I'm the one responsible. No one comes here[?].

...

Robber: You know something? The gun's not real. It's a BB gun.

He left without taking the money. Overall, I’m fairly impressed with the young woman. An offer to help the guy find a job is fantastic. Even though she knew the consequences of what she was going to be required to do, she didn’t panic the same way he did.

On the part of the would-be robber, we have someone who claims to be a Christ follower while he is in the act of taking money by violence. Like so many thieves, he thought that by taking money from a corporation that it would not hurt anyone. This is the same mentality that our government has, so it should not surprise me that it continues to rub off on people. (I say it in that order because most of the proponents of this in government have high education levels. They should know better.)

Luke 3:14 records the words of John the Baptist to soldiers who asked what they needed to do, if they were to live right:

And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

This man had a job. Why wasn’t it enough? I don’t know the exact circumstances but I really doubt they are as bad as he seemed to think.

I admit that I did not have a family to look after when I was evicted but it was not the end of the world. Sometimes you just need to reevaluate your priorities.

EDIT: Incidentally, the thief was supposedly arrested this morning after he robbed another store: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/07/31/1755216/deputies-apologetic-would-be-robber.html