I have seen many old western shows where the sheriff dangles the keys.  When a sheriff swings the keys in front of you, he is showing you who is boss.  For the criminal, it can perhaps strike up a healthy dose of fear.  And for the mother on the streets watching her young children, the sight of a tall sheriff with some keys generates some assurance.

The Chief Sheriff interrupts our thoughts today not just in Idaho but on a global scale with these words.  Hey, listen up.  “I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”

Truly, there is not a man big enough in the 200 countries on our earth who will ever hold those keys.  So, it is a lot easier to say, “Bring on the gunfight,” when you are standing behind a Sheriff like that.