February 2005 - Tower - Page 5
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Janice Holland has graciously donated a book written by Rick Warren entitled The Purpose Driven Life. This book has been recommended by such authors as, Max Lucado, Lee Strobel, Bruce Wilkinson, and Billy and Franklin Graham. Reading this book can be life changing. Thank you for this important addition to our library, Janice.
Clyde and Janet Keller have donated two volumes of cassette tapes entitled Bible Heroes. These beautiful children's tapes have been placed in the children's library. Thank you, Clyde and Janet.
The children and youth of the church will be receiving Lenten coin folders to use during Lent which begins on Wednesday, February 9. They are encouraged to place a dime in the folder each day. The folders should be returned on Easter Sunday, March 27. The money collected will go toward the mission support of John Elmore, our missionary in Chili.
The recent disaster in the far east caused by earthquake and Tsunami sharply brings us to understand how it takes a major disaster to unite us as human beings when faced with tragedy of such major proportions.
It is gratifying to see the various nations unite to help in alleviating the suffering caused by this disaster. Hindus are helping Buddhists; Christians are helping Muslims.
When we have finished with giving our temporary aid, we will sadly enough go back to bashing each other over our ideologies.
While a disaster of the proportion of the Tsunami has the attention of most countries, we tend to forget or ignore the major catastrophe that is occurring in Africa today where millions are dying from AIDS and from tribal warfare. Because this is a long-term problem we push it on the back burner of our minds, and so it becomes like a pain that we have learned to live with, but compassion is not a one-time thing. Like our muscles, if it is not used it will tend to wither into self-interest.
So we continually need to be sensitive to the suffering of others. While we tend to be quick to respond to a major disaster, we must not forget that pain and suffering are a continual presence.
People who are hurting are always present, and so we do not want to be like the priest and the Levite in the parable of the Good Samaritan who passed on the other side, but rather like the Samaritan who was filled with compassion and acted. Luke 10:30-37 (NRSV)
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If you have any comments on any of these pages, please email me: Robert W.(Bob) Mckitrick, thanks.
Last update: February 7, 2005