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4A ®[)£ Im'alti <©a?£tt£ Tuesday, January 5,2021
Opinions
Ruffin's Renderings: The song of the ruthless
BY MIKE RUFFIN
ruffinml@gmail.com
“The song of the ruth
less” is a phrase found in
chapter 25 of the book of
Isaiah. The full sentence
reads,
When the blast of the
ruthless was like a winter
rainstorm,
the noise of aliens like
heat in a dry place,
you subdued the heat
with the shade of clouds;
the song of the ruth
less was stilled (w. 4b-5).
The prophet has in
mind a mighty city that
God has brought down
because of its oppressive
practices. The ruthless
oppressors had been
making a lot of noise
and doing a lot of dam
age, but God silenced
and stopped them. In
so doing, God has given
shelter to the poor and
needy (v. 4).
The prophet doesn’t
say what city he is talk
ing about. The best guess
is Babylon, which eventu
ally becomes a symbol
for oppressive empires
(the name Babylon is
used in place of Rome in
the book of Revelation).
But there are oppres
sive forces in every age.
Not all of them are em
pires, but some of them
are. And even those that
may at first glance seem
to operate independently
usually do so with the
approval and support
of entrenched systems.
The economic, political,
and legal scales
are tilted in
favor of the rich
and powerful.
Many of them
will do anything
to maintain
their riches and
power and to
acquire more.
If they must op
press others to
do so, they will.
They do.
Here’s the thing,
though: the consistent
witness of the Bible is
that God isn’t on the side
of the powerful oppres
sors. Babylon, Nineveh,
Rome, and many more
empires throughout
history have eventually
crumbled. Perhaps they
collapsed
of their own
weight. But the
biblical proph
ets don’t hesi
tate to say that
the powerful
oppressors
collapse under
God’s judg
ment. They
also don’t
hesitate to say
that God will
bring down the power
ful and lift up the lowly.
In fact, that’s what Mary
said when she praised
God for the child she was
going to bear (Lk 1:51-
53). Jesus came to fulfill
God’s purpose of revers
ing the fortunes of the
powerful and the weak,
of the arrogant and the
humble, and of the rich
and the poor.
The prophet speaking
in Isaiah 25 also looks
forward to the great
banquet that God will
throw when God makes
all things as God wants
them to be. When that
time comes, the song
of the ruthless will be
stilled forever. Their
taunts will cease. Their
revelry will end.
That time is yet to
come. But it is coming.
What do we do in the
meantime, until the song
of the ruthless is stilled?
We sing a more beautiful
song. It is the song of the
redeemed. It is the song
of those who join God on
the side of the poor, the
oppressed, the disenfran
chised, and the marginal
ized.
What do we do in the
meantime, until God
throws the great banquet
in which all God’s people
will be included? We
hold the best and biggest
banquets we can. We
welcome all to our table
who will come. We host
the poor, the oppressed,
the disenfranchised, and
the marginalized.
We live in ways that re
flect the great future that
is coming. We practice
love, grace, and mercy.
Mike Ruffin is a Barnesville native
who lives in Yatesville and works in
Macon. His new book, Praying with
Matthew, is available at helwys.com
and at Amazon.
2020 was “The Year
That Was,” Or Wasn’t
KAY S. PEDROTTI
kayspedrotti@gmail.com
No doubt about it -
we survived events in
2020 that had not been
seen before, at least in
the lives
of most
of us.
Extraor
dinary or
discour
aging,
enlighten
ing or depressing, could
all be descriptive words
about 2020.
There are the doom-
sayers who say 2021
will be worse. That’s for
people who have lost all
faith or hope. But if 2021
does not bring about uni
fication of efforts in the
U.S. to hold all elected
officials strictly account
able, to help people who
need help (not those who
can go to the bank and
get million-dollar loans),
to be kind and consider
ate and helpful in our
families, with our friends
and even with strangers:
2021 could then indeed
be worse if the unity
doesn’t happen.
Speaking from the
view of a 50-year veteran
reporter, I see the main
issue as the absolute lack
of truth in the national
news. Maybe it’s because
people can pick and
choose what to believe
from the networks, the
internet and social me
dia. Then they are able to
say, “Okay, I’m right and
you’re wrong,” because
the other guy reads or
watches or listens to
something else - which
of course is then be
lieved also to be truth,
whether it contradicts
the other information or
not.
That problem is
not going to be solved
anytime soon, as long
as there are people who
don’t care about big is
sues (the environment
and crushing national
debt), or the little issues
like how many people
are hungry and homeless
in my own community,
what can be done to
gather willing mentors
and tutors for young
students who have fallen
behind during 2020,
whether we can stop the
“good ol’ boy” network
from prevailing whether
we think it exists and
is still a viable way to
govern.
That sentence re
ceives the Howard Cosell
Award for looonngg
sentences. There’s too
much to talk about - and
maybe that’s our main
problem. We aren’t talk
ing to each other. We
would rather vilify Demo
crats if we’re Republican,
or cast all Republicans
into a vat of corruption if
we’re Democrats. Speak
ing for me, I have friends
and loved ones on “both
sides of the aisle,” and
that alone makes me
think of what a cousin
once said in a lively
political discussion at a
family reunion:
“If little ordinary
people like us can see
what’s wrong, and what
could be done about it,
why can’t the educated
and experienced folks in
Washington and Atlanta
see that too?”
Food for thought in
the New Year - will we
do what we can, or let
things roll the way they
always have? Regardless,
I hope you all do have a
Happy New Year.
Kay S. Pedrotti has spent some
50 years writing for newspapers.
She is active in the Lamar County
community and currently serves as
the president of Lamar Arts. She
lives in Milner with her husband Bob
Pedrotti.
• New Life Anointed
Ministries will hold a
New Year’s Eve service
Dec. 31 at 9:30 p.m. The
service will be conducted
remotely on Zoom. The
passcode is 061087. The
link is https://us02web.
zoom.us/j/82226239190?p
wd=cFlKWkcxY0hhMElh
NHJsRUVEdlBOUT09.
• Barnesville First
United Methodist
Church invites you to
worship online Sunday
morning. Worship with
others on the church
Facebook page at 10
a.m. or anytime Sunday
at barnesvillefumc.org.
Listen to worship by
telephone at 10 a.m. by
calling 1.646.876.9923
and using Meeting ID: 417
726 8613. Also on Face-
book: Children’s online
storytime weekdays at
9:30 a.m. and Wednesday
6:15 p.m. evening prayer
and devotion. Additional
opportunities for online
small group discussions
are available at Barnes-
villeFUMC.org.
• Rock Springs
Church: log on to rock-
springsonline.com and
watch live services
Sundays at 8 a.m., 9:30
a.m. and 11 a.m. Wednes
day evening activities at
7 p.m.
• Lilia Memorial
Baptist: Sunday School
starts at 10 a.m., worship
at 11 a.m., Wednesday
night worship at 7 p.m.
Information: Pastor Rex
Kessler, 404.509.9366. 802
Hwy. 36 E., Barnesville.
PSSSST!
WANTYER
COVIDSHOT
NOW?
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■-V. -.ViAS.V. hn •.ViH.S.H S.-T-J
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Hope Tree Ministry thanks community
The Hope Tree Minis
try was able to provide
toys and food to 23
families this Christmas
thanks to the generosity
of the community, local
churches, and local busi
nesses. In all, 46 girls and
30 boys received pres
ents. Thank you again to
everyone who contrib
uted to help those in our
community!
REV. JIMMY FAMBR0
SPORTS
1-1 New Year’s week
Trojans go
The Lamar County
Trojans split two games
sandwiched around the
New Year’s Day holiday.
On Dec. 30, LC topped
Strong Rock 65-61 at the
local gym. Rantavious
Fluellen had 20 points to
pace the Trojans. Also in
double figures were Josh
Driver and CJ Allen with
10 points each.
Other scorers were
Reco Walker (7), Devin
Bateman (5), Ty Head
(4), Braden Masoinet (4),
Ravick Talmadge (4) and
Jamarian Bentley (1).
On Jan. 2, LC lost a
heartbreaker to Mary
Persons here 5048.
Fluellen again led LC
with 17 points while
Bateman had 11. Other
scorers were Talmadge
(5), Walker (4), Allen (4),
Bentley (3), Masoinet (2),
and Driver (2).
Lady Trojans split two games
The LC Lady Trojans
split two games played at
the local gym last week.
On Wednesday, Lamar
fell to a Spalding Lady
Jaguars team which filled
in for Strong Rock’s girls
at the last minute 54-51.
Tamya Blasingame had
16 points to lead LC. Also
in double figures was
Zaria Fletcher with 13.
Other scorers were
Shakiria Foster (9), Za-
kiria Foster (9), Janiyah
Akins (2) and Journi Har
ris (2).
The locals got back
on the right side of the
scoreboard Saturday
when they walloped
Mary Persons 6340.
Blasingame went off for
28 points to lead all scor
ers. Shakiria Foster also
hit double figures with 14
points.
Other scorers were Za-
kiria Foster (7), Fletcher
(6), Harris (4), Akins (2)
and Lauren Wilcher (2).
LC was to host Locust
Grove Monday night and
travel to Bleckley County
today. The schedule is
subject to change due
to COVID. Call the high
school at 770.358.8641 to
verify scheduling.
THE HERALD GAZETTE/WALTER GEIGER
Driving the lane
LC freshman Zakiria Foster drives the lane for two of her nine points in last week’s loss to
Spalding High.
FLASHBACK
In honor of
Elizabeth Sellers
Jan. 3-9
10 years ago
The county commis
sion was looking for a
way to put an end to its
controversial fire fees
charged to property own
ers. The much cussed
and discussed fees had
riled up the citizenry to
the point of near revolt.
The county collected
$190,000 in fees during
2010 but nearly every
dollar paid in was com
plained about.
25 years ago
Walter Kent Lyons, 38,
of Thomaston was killed
during a shootout New
Year’s Eve at Holloway’s
Lounge on 10th Street.
Moses Jerome Banks,
25, of Barnesville was
charged with murder.
The argument was over
money and a gold brace
let. Banks was convicted
of voluntary manslaugh
ter and sentenced to
serve 20 years. He was
released on Dec. 30,
2015.
50 years ago
Sheriff J.C. Waller re
ported two local homes
had been burglarized and
ransacked. The home of
Mr. and Mrs. E.H. Landry
right on the county line
was hit on New Year’s
Eve. The log cabin home
of Mr. and Mrs. W.E.
Tarpley on Hwy. 41 South
was hit on Jan. 4. There
were no arrests or sus
pects identified.
100 years ago
The people of Barnes
ville, Lamar and Pike
counties and the entire
surrounding sections
were shocked and deeply
grieved Thursday morn
ing when informed of
the death of Judge S.S.
Barrett at his home in
Meansville at 5 o’clock of
pneumonia. The illness
of Judge Barrett was not
generally known and
therefore the announce
ment of his death came
as a distinct surprise to
people generally.
Zi)t Heraltr #a^tte
barnesville.com
770.358.NEWS
P.0. Box 220
Publishers
Staff
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