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Page 4A - Pike County Journal Reporter - Wednesday, March 31, 2021
Opinions
Ruffin’s Renderings: What difference does it make?
BY MIKE RUFFIN
ruffinml@gmail.com
You are reading these
words during the week
that Christians call
“Holy.” Friday is Good Fri
day, the day we remem
ber Jesus’ death on the
cross. Sunday is Easter
Sunday, the day we cel
ebrate Jesus’ resurrection
from the dead.
The crucifixion and
resurrection of Jesus
Christ are the founda
tions on which the
Christian faith stands.
Preachers have spo
ken and scholars have
written innumerable
words on the mean
ing of Jesus’ death and
resurrection. 1 hesitate
to speak for Christians,
given the wide range of
theological assumptions
and opinions that exist
among us, but 1 think 1
can safely say that we
believe that Jesus’ cru
cifixion and resurrection
make all the difference.
We believe that Jesus’
crucifixion and resurrec
tion make all the differ
ence at the end of our
lives. We believe that be
cause Jesus died and rose
again, we have everlast
ing 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 comprehend
ing or even imagining. We
affirm these truths at fu
nerals. 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
Jesus’ crucifix
ion and resur
rection 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 continu
ing, 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 sum
mons 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 cer
tainly 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 appropriate fulfill
ment someday. We live
in the assurance of those
great truths. But walking
in newness of life and
knowing that our true citi
zenship 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 willingness to take it
onto ourselves. Because
we are people of the
resurrection, we try to
bring the hope of new life
into the world’s death,
destruction, 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.
LETTERS T
THE EDIT
Join the April 24 Keep
It Glean Spring Fling
When 1 drive down
my local road, 1 am sad
dened by the amount
of trash and debris that
sullies the lovely coun
tryside near my home.
Everything from liquor
bottles, beer
cans and fast
food bags
to candy
wrappers,
tires and
discarded
appliances.
Every week,
the litter just
seems to grow and
grow.
It hurts my heart to
see folks destroying
the natural beauty and
nostalgic charm of our
county, not to mention
the harm littering can
cause to our wildlife
and waterways. Instead
of just complaining and
feeling bad about the
situation, I wanted to
do something to help,
to actually make a dif
ference.
1 went on Facebook
and found Pick Up Pike
(PUP), a group dedicat
ed to helping clean up
the trash in Pike County
and offer support to
volunteers either in
group clean-up settings
or those who prefer
to make an individual
effort.
Through this group, I
have met some out
standing people who
really care about the
environment and about
the place they call
home.
1 was thrilled to hear
that the UGA Pike Coun
ty Extension Office in
Zebulon will be hosting
a “Keep It Clean Spring
Fling 2021” group clean
up on Saturday, April
24, beginning at 9 a.m.
In collaboration with
Pick Up Pike, the Spring
Fling is meant
to rally
volunteers
together
for a
commu
nity wide
clean-up
and hope
fully, keep the
ball rolling and inspire
others to join us in the
battle against litter.
If someone isn’t able
to physically get out
and pick up trash or
if they feel uncomfort
able doing so, perhaps
they’d be interested
in a sponsorship to
help fund the effort.
The opportunities to
be involved and make
a difference are there,
we just need to reach
out.
To register for the
clean up or if there are
any questions, please
reach out to Brooklyne
Wassel at the extension
office at 678-588-3153 or
brooklyne.wassel@uga.
edu.
1 hope to encourage
others of like mind to
join me in this effort.
Like Helen Keller said,
“Alone we can do so
little, but together we
can do so much.”
Let’s show our Pike
Pride and help keep
Pike beautiful. Thank
you!
KAY STONE
CONCORD
PUP
PICK UP PIKE
The ins, outs, ups and downs of THEY
KAY S. PEDROTTI
kayspedrotti@gmail.com
They say more cold
weather is coming. They
won’t believe me, but I
■.<23*^
was not
oil
parked
illegally.
1
They are
y ;
taking
■ '
away our
rights.
They
don’t do anything like
we used to do. They
don’t know diddly about
running things. They
are not held to the same
standards that exist for
ordinary folks. THEY also
cannot possibly exist.
I’ve been so bold as to
ask, quite often, “Who is
‘they’?” the answers are a
gamut of emotions, such
as “shut up - you know
who I’m talking about,”
or “how can 1 possibly
know?” or “THEY are
the ones who are always
against me.” It looks
simple, and simply ri
diculous, but THEY have
a lot of power. Just let a
few statements be made
on social media or in
another public message,
and - good or bad - it is
believed almost instantly
by many, many people.
“Well, it’s what they
say.” Is that a reason to
believe? Please, please
do some thinking.
If you can say to me,
“The Governor of Geor
gia said on television ...”
or “Dr Fauci now says ...”
or “The teacher said to
do it this way ...” I would
likely trust the source.
Maybe. I need time to
process and rethink and
investigate what 1 hear
- it’s what reporters are
trained to do. Imagine
whether we could hold
our positions as sources
of truth for the reading
public if we did NOT
investigate everything
we hear, read or are told
is absolutely true.
I’ve been asked by
someone who can verify
a bit of information that
could be damaging to a
person or cause, “Why
are you asking me this?”
I reply, “So far this is a ru
mor. Rumors are always
worse than the actual
truth, so I’m trying to get
to the truth.” There is no
way to live with myself
if I withhold information
from my bosses, co-work
ers, or those who read
The Herald Gazette, just
because someone (may
be even somebody who
has been a friend to me)
might get into trouble of
some description.
Only on one occasion
have I ever declined to
do a story under those
circumstances; when I
tell you why, you prob
ably will understand. In
one place we lived many
years ago, I discovered
a connection between
some local governing
persons and organized
crime. Word got out
that I was investigating;
someone who knew I
couldn’t be bought told
me, “Stick to the small
potatoes. If you go into
the higher-ups, there
will be two motherless
children at your house.”
I backed out, but -1
passed on the info I had
to someone who could
investigate with less
chance of danger. The
situation may still exist;
I wish sometimes I had
gone ahead and blown
the lid off, but I couldn’t
stand the thought of
actual physical harm to
me or mine.
I have never believed
entirely in THEY. If what
I hear sounds incred
ible, my next question is,
“Where did you get this?”
More times than not, a
genuine source cannot
be identified; it came
from somebody who
heard it from somebody
who told it to somebody
else.
P.S. - Don’t even trust
the “theys” on TV - re
member how long politi
cians have been passing
on BS as truth.
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.
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Pike County
Journal
Reporter
www.pikecountygeorgia.com
P.O. Box 789
16026 Barnesville St.
Zebulon, Ga. 30295
770.567.3446
The Pike County Journal
Reporter is the official
organ of Pike County, the
cities of Zebulon, Moiena,
Meansville, Williamson
and Concord. It is
published weekly by
Hometown Newspapers
Inc. Second class
postage is paid at the
Zebulon, Ga Post Office.
Publishers; Walter and
Laura Geiger; staff:
Jennifer Taylor,
Brenda Sanchez and
Rachel McDaniel.
AT PIKE
BY DWAIN W. PENN
100 YEARS AGO
April 1, 1921: Prominent Griffin resident R.F.
Strickland died March 27. Born in Concord, son of
Isaac Strickland, R.F. moved to Griffin as a young
adult and became a successful merchant.
75 YEARS AGO
April 4, 1946: Bernice Oglesby, 12, of Moiena
was the Pike elementary school spelling champion,
winning a $25 war bond from the Atlanta Journal.
Billy Bottoms, Concord, and JoAnn Bush, Zebulon,
placed second and third respectively.
50 YEARS AGO
April 1, 1971: Ellen Ann Yearwood, a student at
Pike County High School, was a finalist out of 3,661
students nominated to participate in the Gover
nor’s Honor Program at Wesleyan College begin
ning June 4. Ellen was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
E.W. Yearwood of Concord.
25 YEARS AGO
April 3,1996: Pike high school sophomore Tuck
er Blackmon, age 15, left for Costa Rica as a member
of the State Select Soccer Team, part of the Olympic
Development program. It was Blackmon’s third over
seas tour, competing in Europe in 1992 and 1993.