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4A ®jje 1) eralb <©a?£tt£ Tuesday, March 30,2021
Opinions
Ruffin’s
BY MIKE RUFFIN
rjffinml@gmail.com
You are reading these
words during the week
that Christians call
“Holy.” Friday is Good
Friday, the day we re
member Jesus’ death on
the cross. Sunday is Eas
ter Sunday, the day we
celebrate Jesus’ resurrec
tion from the dead.
The crucifixion and
resurrection of Jesus
Christ are the founda
tions on which the
Christian faith stands.
Preachers have spoken
and scholars have writ
ten innumerable words
on the meaning of Jesus’
death and resurrection.
1 hesitate to speak for
Christians, given the
wide range of theological
assumptions and opin
ions that exist among us,
but 1 think 1 can safely
say that we believe that
Jesus’ crucifixion and
resurrection make all the
difference.
Renderings: What difference does it make?
We believe that Jesus’
crucifixion and resur
rection make all the
difference at the end
of our lives. We believe
that because Jesus
died and rose again, we
have everlasting life. We
believe that death is not
the end, but rather is the
gateway to an existence
that is more wonderful
than we are capable of
comprehending or even
imagining. We affirm
these truths at funerals.
Hopefully we also affirm
them all through the lives
we live before we get to
our funerals.
We also believe that
Jesus’ crucifixion and
resurrection make all the
difference at the end of
time. We believe that God
is working God’s purpos
es out and that God will
finally make all things as
God intends them to be.
As we believe that Jesus’
crucifixion and resurrec
tion are central to God’s
purposes, we also believe
that Jesus’ sec
ond coming will
culminate those
purposes.
So Christians
believe that Je
sus’ crucifixion
and resurrection
make all the
difference at the
end of our lives
and at the end of
time. But since
we are still alive
and since time
and history are
continuing, those events
are (obviously) still in
the future.
So what difference do
Jesus’ crucifixion and
resurrection make here
and now?
What difference does
Jesus’ crucifixion make in
the ways we live in this
world and in this time?
Christians tend to talk
a lot—as we should—
about the fact that Jesus
died for us. We say things
such as, “Jesus died for
our sins” and “Jesus died
so we can
be forgiven.”
Again, we
should say
those things.
We should cel
ebrate them!
We should live
in light of the
fact that Jesus
died for us.
But we
should also
live in light of
the fact that
Jesus calls us
to die with him. Jesus
laid down his life for us,
and he summons us to
lay down our lives for
God and for each other.
What does this mean,
given that chances are
slim that we will have to
literally die for God or for
other people? It certainly
means that we put the
needs of other people
ahead of our own, that
we practice selflessness
rather than selfishness,
and that we do whatever
we can to help people in
need.
Christians follow the
Savior who died on the
cross and who calls us
to walk in the way of the
cross. That is the way
of service and sacrifice.
That is the way of love.
What difference does
Jesus’ resurrection make
in the ways we live here
and now? On one hand,
it means that we live in
light of the way things
are going to be. We will
be resurrected someday
and God will bring all
things to their appropri
ate fulfillment someday.
We live in the assurance
of those great truths.
But walking in newness
of life and knowing that
our true citizenship is in
heaven does not enable
or allow us to live above
the pain and suffering in
this world. Because we
are people of the cross,
we enter into the world’s
suffering with the willing
ness to take it onto our
selves. Because we are
people of the resurrec
tion, we try to bring the
hope of new life into the
world’s death, destruc
tion, and despair.
We affirm that we will
be raised from the dead
someday. For as long
as we live in this world,
we should try to spread
as much hope and life
around as we can.
We Christians believe
that the crucifixion and
resurrection of Jesus
Christ will make all the
difference in the end.
They should also make
all the difference right
here and right now.
Do they?
The answer largely
comes down to how
much love we practice
and how much life we
share.
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.
How the American
Rescue Plan robbed
the state of Georgia
DREW FERGUSON
U.S. CONGRESSMAN
It is called the Ameri
can Rescue Plan, but
on multiple fronts this
package
jammed
through
by
President
Biden,
Speaker
Nancy Pe-
losi, Georgia’s Senators
Warnock and Ossoff, and
Congressional Democrats
is robbing Georgia of our
resources and relief.
As a concerned mem
ber of the Georgia del
egation, it is important
for me to outline the fatal
flaws of this so-called
“rescue plan.” Folks need
to remember that 91 per
cent of the $1.9 trillion
in this package is going
towards progressive
priorities unrelated to
improving public health,
reopening schools this
year, or helping Ameri
cans get back on their
feet.
The formula in the bill
distributes federal funds
to states based largely
on unemployment rates,
which is a deviation from
the typical methodology
that focuses on popula
tion data. What that
means for Georgia and
other states that opened
their economies ear
lier in order to prevent
higher rates of unem
ployment is they will lose
funds they otherwise
would have received.
Thanks to this new
formula, the Peach State
will lose out on $1.2 bil
lion to states like New
York, California, and
Illinois. An amendment
offered during Senate
consideration of the
package would have
tied funding received
by states back to state
populations but was
defeated with the help of
both of Warnock and Os
soff. Why our representa
tives rejected the oppor
tunity to put Georgians
first is confounding. Even
worse, however, is that
under the new structure
included in this package,
Georgia’s seniors will be
hit with $11.5 billion in
Medicare cuts over the
next decade.
Another large cause
for concern we have
heard from small busi
nesses across Georgia
is that the extension of
additional unemploy
ment benefits will allow
folks to be paid more to
stay home than at their
jobs. The significance of
this has lasting impacts
for our workforce, our
economy, and Georgia
businesses as the ability
to rehire workers to full
time jobs is jeopardized.
These are short-sighted
changes that are going
to hurt the vulnerable
populations of our state
for years to come.
On the tax side, Chuck
Schumer and Senate
Democrats snuck in a
provision that will ban
states’ autonomy in de
termining their own tax
laws until 2024, directly
prohibiting them from
lowering taxes - even if
states determine that tax
incentives are needed for
their economic develop
ment priorities. This
is yet another brazen
attempt by Democrats to
weaponize federal funds
to coerce states into
adhering to their liberal
agenda. As the number
one state in the country
to do business for eight
years running, Georgians
know what’s best for our
tax laws, not D.C. Demo
crats.
1 fully support help
ing Georgia families and
small businesses get
back on their feet, get
ting vaccines distributed
in rural areas, getting
people back to work
safely, and getting kids
learning in the classroom
this year. In fact, my
Republican colleagues
on the House Ways and
Means Committee and
1 attempted to improve
this package by offering
34 amendments during
the mark-up, and over
200 amendments on the
House floor, but Demo
crats rejected every
single one.
One of my amend
ments would have
redirected unused funds
from prior COV1D pack
ages towards vaccines
for rural and under
served seniors and corre
sponding mental health
programs. It is clear that
rural communities have
unique vaccine distri
bution challenges that
require special attention.
My amendment would
have ensured states are
equipped to provide life
saving vaccines to rural
America while address
ing the tsunami of mental
health issues caused by
COV1D-19 lockdowns. Un
fortunately, Democrats
did not believe that to
be a priority in their $1.9
trillion package.
From the start, 1 have
said that this package
must be temporary,
targeted, and directly
tied to getting Georgians
the help they need. This
bill does none of those
things. It is a lavish,
SEE RESCUE PLAN 5A
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Local Farm Bureau thanks farmers
Each farmer feeds 165 people
To all active farmers
in Lamar County, Lamar
County Farm Bureau is
so thankful for your hard
work.
American agriculture
not only provides us food
I, along with other
citizens of Milner, Geor
gia are appalled at the
reported actions of our
circuit district’s pros
ecuting attorney regard
ing the criminal probe
into several of Milner’s
council members and
certain alleged financial
funds as confirmed on
your front page of the
3-23-2021 issue.
Our Honorable Dis
trict Attorney Jonathan
Adams and GB1 investiga
tors pretty much slapped
every resident of Milner
in the face by telling us
to wait an undisclosed
amount of months and
they just might get
around to informing the
citizens of their findings.
Maybe.
The Milner City Coun
cil, both current and
previous members, have
had numerous heated,
The Friends of the
Barnesville-Lamar Coun
ty Library thanks Lamar
Gives 365 and all the
citizens who fund it to
make our community ex
ceptional. Your grant to
the Friends enabled the
library to purchase and
and clothing, but also
helps meet needs around
the world. Each farmer
feeds 165 people and just
about everything we eat,
wear and use is available
to us because of hard
“drag’em- out-into-the-
street” discussions with
residents over what
some have considered
to be out and out cor
ruption. Many council
meetings have had
“fingers-in-the-faces” mo
ments while debating the
criminal probe and the
possible reasons for the
investigation. People are
hot as a roasted potato
regarding rumors and in
nuendoes with where the
possible financial funds
went and with whom
they absconded with.
What could be the rea
son for not even present
ing the case to the grand
jury this session? Has
new evidence been found
pointing the possibly
guilty arrow in another
direction and a determi
nation has been made
that a new investigation
is needed?
install a security camera
for the front parking lot.
This is an area where
the after hours book
drop is located. Security
is needed to discourage
nighttime loitering, van
dalism and other prob
lems that could occur.
working men and women,
like yourselves, who
grow our food. “Without
farmers, Georgia can’t
grow”
LAMAR COUNTY FARM BUREAU
We, the citizens of
Milner, are a patient lot
but that only goes so far.
We are unable to trust
our city’s elected officials
until these investigations
are brought to a conclu
sion.
At the next city coun
cil meeting, 1 will pres
ent the mayor and city
council with a written
formal request. 1 will be
asking them to contact
our state’s Attorney Gen
eral asking they assign a
member of their office to
get to the bottom of the
hang up on behalf of the
citizens of Milner. Either
they got something;
some evidence, strong
enough to prosecute, or
they don’t. It’s time for
the citizens of Milner to
know the answers.
Thank you for helping
us meet this special need
of our library.
SINCERELY,
ANNE HAINES, PRESIDENT
Friends of the Barnesville-Lamar
County Library
Mar. 28-Apr. 3
10 years ago
Sharmaine Shavers of
Meansville won the na
tionwide Cuties Ultimate
Soccer Mom contest.
Coach Don Bohensky of
the PC Fury, the area’s
first select girls team,
nominated his key assis
tant. Fury players were
Kelly Brooke Fitzhugh,
Joy Park, Anna Mat
thews, Paige Wood, Bailie
Garland, Hannah Nauck,
Shelbie Bohensky, Kaitlin
O’Connor, Brooke Shav
ers, Bean Butler, Brooke
Biggs, Jodie Hearn and
Livia Lanier Geiger. The
players were to get a free
clinic with Olympian Joy
Fawcett as part of the
prize.
25 years ago
The City of Milner
expressed an interest in
buying the Milner Middle
School property which
consisted of 35 acres and
multiple school build
ings. Mayor Joe Bostwick
said the $200,000 price
tag was reasonable but
the city did not have
that much cash. The
property is now home
to St. George’s Episcopal
School.
50 years ago
A Gospel Singing was
planned at the Liberty
Hill Community House.
Featured singers were to
be the Memorial Quartet
from Warner Robins and
the Christian Echoes
from Monticello. All good
singers and those who
love good singing were
invited.
100 years ago
Mr. T. J. Bailey, who
was with the Pike road
force for the past year
and who is regarded as
one of the best machin
ist-road men in the state,
was employed by the
State Highway Depart
ment the past week and
placed in charge of the
Dixie Highway from the
Spalding line to Forsyth.
Mr. Bailey expects to
make Barnesville his
headquarters and will
operate a regular road
force in keeping the high
way maintained.
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Frustration over Milner criminal probe
SINCERELY,
BOBBY BRANTLY
A “shout-out" to Lamar Gives 365
Zi)t Umltr #a^tte
barnesville.com
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P.0. Box 220
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