Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2010
THE JACKSON HERALD
PAGE 5A
The frustrated preacher strikes again
THERE ARE a lot
of things we need to
quit. Learning is not
one of them.
A lot of folks
believe they are
educated when they
get out of school.
But the journey has
just begun. Whether
you dropped out,
graduated from high
school or received
your PhD, you should learn
more after school than you
learned before school and in
school.
And there is no excuse not
to. This is the information age,
and there are more resources
and learning tools outside the
classroom than there are inside
the classroom. And I am talk
ing about more than radio,
television, newspapers, maga
zines and the Internet.
Your local public library is a
good place to start.
And don't rule out the boys
you have coffee with every
morning or the girls you play
bridge with every Wednesday
night or see at prayer meet
ing. You don’t have to pick
their brains; just stop talking
and listen. You’ll be amazed
at how much you can learn
that way.
I know, some of you are
wondering by what authority
I’m telling ya’ll all this stuff.
Who anointed the frustrated
preacher to be your mentor
and interrupt your serene, wor
ry-free, satisfied life?
Look, I've got to fill this
space with something. And
I have been around longer
than most of you.
Experience counts for
something.
You’ve read this far.
Might as well go on to
the bitter end; see if the
frustrated preacher is
one of those resources
and learning tools that
he was talking about.
(I’m not sure I should
have said that.)
But what th’ heck!
He is a resource. And so are
you. Every person you come
in contact with today will
learn something from you. It’s
amazing how much influence
you have on others. And others
have a tremendous influence
on you. We just need to pay
attention.
Influence: “The act or power
of producing an effect with
out apparent force or direct
authority.”
I think that means we are
influential without even know
ing it or trying to be. We do
good - or bad - simply by
being ourselves. So I guess
we should be careful what we
think, do or say today. Jesus
isn't the only one watching
and listening.
Well, I haven’t filled my
allotted space this week, but
it's a start. All I wanted to do
was tell you that if you don’t
keep on learning, you'll wind
up like the frustrated preach
er: too soon old and too late
smart, wishing he had been as
interested in studying, learn
ing and growing in school and
before retirement as he has
been out of school and after
retirement.
Now he’s got to figure out
what he can come up with to fill
the rest of his space this week.
Let’s see if we can start some
thing - maybe an argument.
❖ ❖❖
Whatever happened to the
heated debate about redistri
bution of wealth? I guess the
economy and health care and
the election in Massachusetts
put a lot of things on the back
burner.
The frustrated preacher
doesn’t want to be remem
bered as a troublemaker, and
it is not his intention to egg
on the pros and cons in any
dispute.
However, when the liberals
and conservatives remember
that the haves and have-nots
are still with us, and the gap
between the richest and poor
est is still wide, and they are
fighting over what - if any
thing - to do about it, I want
them to do battle from a posi
tion of power, not weakness.
(That's a long sentence and a
big order, isn’t it?)
And everybody’s tired of
the same old argument. So in
addition to power, they need
a brand new perspective. They
need a learning resource and
tool most of them haven't
explored in ages.
The frustrated preach
er doesn’t know of a better
place than the Bible to acquire
strength and come up with a
new way of looking at things.
Therefore, before the redis
tribution of wealth brouhaha
heats up again, he wants to
give the debate teams an
assignment. He’d like them to
read and study (study involves
repetition, concentration, com
prehension and reflection)
Leviticus, Chapter 25; Acts
4:32-35, and 2 Thessalonians
3:6-10.
The story of the Jubilee in
Leviticus is too long to share
here, but I can give them a hint
of what the passages in Acts
and 2 Thessalonians say. One
talks about “distribution being
made to each according to his
or her need” and the other
warns that “if you don't work,
you don't eat.”
The frustrated preacher
wants them to read and study
- really STUDY - these pas
sages before getting involved
again in the redistribution of
wealth argument. You will
notice that, regardless of the
point the combatants are try
ing to make, they can find
help and support in the Bible.
And that is one of the things
that frustrates the frustrated
preacher.
Nevertheless, he has given
both sides ammunition and
food for thought. He may be
confused, but like he said two
weeks ago, he is fair and bal
anced, and there is not a preju
diced or biased bone in this
body.
Now, if he can just get the
liberals and conservatives to
be like him, everything will be
hunky-dory.
Yeah, right!
I feel the need to again
define fantasy: “the free play
of a creative imagination.”
Virgil Adams is a former
owner/editor of The Jackson
Herald.
virgil
adams
Thanks for 2009 support of the JCCO
Dear Editor:
On behalf of the board of directors
and members of the Jackson County
Community Outreach, I sincerely
offer our appreciation to the entire
Jackson County community for their
support and participation in our 11th
Annual Achievement Awards Banquet
on December 5, and support of our
other 2009 events.
We fully realize that we are in a
severe economic period and many
of our businesses and other donors
are being deeply impacted. But you
believed so much in our mission of
education support for our young peo
ple and encouraging economic growth
that you continued to contribute to
our work.
Our banquet attendance was tallied
at 225 and we thank those unable to
attend, but sent donations. Your sup
port will allow us to again give 10
scholarships to needy and deserving
Jackson County high school gradu
ates this year. Our preliminary survey
indicates that the need for scholar
ships will be tremendous this year in
our county due to increased unem
ployment, increased free and reduced
lunch needs, etc. If you are so moved,
we will accept any funds, up to April
to award more scholarships.
Our JCCO Endowment Fund estab
lished in 2007, through dedication
and commitment of some of our great
local companies, continues to grow,
due to our frugal fund management.
This fund will allow the JCCO to pro
vide future enhanced scholarships as
this fund builds. We continue to utilize
other supplementary fundraisers to
fund our operational expenses.
We are sincerely indebted to our
illustrious 2009 banquet keynote
speaker, Georgia Commissioner of
Human Services B.J. Walker for an
inspirational message and the generos
ity of her valuable time. Her message
certainly matched our banquet theme,
“Parental Involvement - The Key to
Economic Development.” Thanks also
go to BOC Chair Hunter Bicknell, Jim
Shaw, Marvin Walker, the Rev. Monty
Nelson and the Rev. Annie Dukes for
their program participation.
We solicit the ongoing support and
participation of our county commu
nity and look forward to continued
service opportunities in 2010. We wel
come more volunteer members in all
categories to assist in our community
projects. I can be reached at 706-335-
3367 for any inquiries or call JCCO
secretary Anita Brown-Jackson, 706-
367-8234.
Sincerely,
Jim Scott
President
Volunteers sought for
van service for veterans
Maysville budget
continued from page 1A
VOLUNTEERS ARE BEING sought to drive two vans
available to take veterans to Athens, Augusta and Atlanta for
medical services.
The Disabled Veterans Association acquired the vans and
they are fully equipped and insured. One van is kept in
Jackson County, while the other one is in Clarke County.
Anyone interested in volunteering is asked to call Robbie
Blalock at 706-795-2000.
AA chapter meets weekly
THE BREEZY Knob chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous meets
five times a week at 69 Central Avenue in Commerce. Meeting
times are at 8 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and
Saturdays and at 6:45 p.m. Sundays.
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55 Freedom Parkway, Suite 101
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706-654-0095
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funds for the streetscape project.
Council member Rebecca McNeely was absent from the
called meeting. Thomas said McNeely was notified just as
the other council members were and was unaware of why
McNeely was not present. Citizens recently called on the
councilwoman to step down from her Ward 3 seat after discre
tions involving her attendance at meetings was questioned as
well as a recent arrest on drug-related charges.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at the Maysville City Council Meeting:
•the council voted to approve Representative Tommy Benton
to introduce the new city charter to the 2010 session of the
General Assembly of Georgia.
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News and food:
how we consume
I DON’T bad-
mouth fast food
from any high
horse. If I'm hun
gry, I sometimes
stop at a drive-
thru and get that
burger and ask for
some salt to go on
the fries.
But I know my
pants keep getting
pushed down on
my waistline as
my gut grows. Suspenders
may be necessary some
day. I know these decisions
to get a combo meal have
something to do with that.
For all its ills, fast food
is a modern economic won
der. Think of the meat, the
bread, the mustard and
ketchup, the salt, the pota
toes — all of the things that
come from different places
and are often frozen, then
trucked great distances. At
a fast food restaurant, you
can purchase a meal with
these items at a very low
cost. It’s quick and easy.
It’s something we take for
granted, but such an easy
meal would have been hard
to imagine 100 years ago.
We recognize that food
consumption is a matter
of personal responsibility.
Do I want to be healthy or
not? I have to choose dis
cipline or dangerous dining
delights.
If I choose to be healthy,
I need to pick the right
things. I need to vary my
diet and get enough of the
four basic food groups.
Pretty much everyone
understands this, whether
they live it or not. You are
what you eat. What grade
do we learn that?
We talk a lot about the
food we eat. We also talk a
lot about the news we con
sume. The two things aren't
connected, but I think there
are real parallels to draw.
If you notice, like our
food industry, our news
industry is always evolv
ing to accommodate speed.
There were newspapers,
then radios, then TV, then
the Web, which includes
increasingly fast and abbre
viated forms of communi
cation, like Twitter.
Competition drives media
to be faster than the next
guy, just as fast food res
taurants want to get your
meal on your tray quicker
than the neighboring burg
er joint. That’s because
their speed means that less
is required of you. And if
less time, expense
and energy are
required, then
you're likely to go
back. Neither the
fast food restau
rant nor most news
outlets are very
concerned wheth
er you're getting
a well-balanced
diet. No, they just
want you to buy
what they’re serv
ing. Whether you're healthy
about what you consume is
totally your deal. It's your
personal responsibility.
It's important to recog
nize that just as speed in
food consumption does
not equal personal health,
speed in news consump
tion is the same way. If
you treat news like it's fast
food, you’ll be hooked on
the McDonalds of news,
not the nicer sit-down din
ners that take more time
but have greater reward.
Quick hitter stories often
don’t include much con
text. But there are plenty
of magazines and books
that get outside of deadline
pressures and focus more
on bigger picture fact-find
ing and analysis.
No doubt, it's a much
more difficult task to sit
down with a book or lengthy
magazine article than it is
to browse Google News.
But I think it’s important
to read news pieces that
require more effort than
just clicking and scanning
headlines. I find that when
I do this, I feel a little
less stressed, even when
the subject isn’t particu
larly uplifting. If I can read
good journalism, prepared
with care by someone who
is thoughtful about the
trade, not just driven by
winning the speed game,
it's almost like I’ve had a
good meal.
I also feel it's impor
tant to treat news like the
four balanced food groups.
Just as a reporter should
seek different sources, so
should a news consumer.
If you’re only going to one
place to get your news, it's
like you’re just eating from
one food group, not getting
a balanced meal.
Well, now I have to eat.
And these jeans are feeling
pretty tight. To drive thru,
or not to drive thru. Yes,
always the question.
Zach Mitcham is editor
of The Madison County
Journal.
Food banks hours listed
THE HOURS of operation of the Banks-Jackson Emergency
Food Bank, located at 111 Atlanta Avenue, Commerce, are
from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and
Friday. The phone number is 706-335-5143.
The food bank provides one-time emergency food supplies
for individuals and families referred by churches or social
service groups.
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