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Page 4A - Pike County Journal Reporter - Wednesday, June 9, 2021
Opinions
Ruffin’s Renderings: Let’s face it
BY MIKE RUFFIN
rjffinml@gmail.com
T he Bible doesn’t
offer an objec
tive account of
the events it narrates. It
doesn’t intend to do so.
Its presentation of those
events is agenda-driven.
Those who passed
along, preserved, wrote,
edited, and compiled
what we have in our
Bibles believed that
God was involved in the
stories they recorded.
God’s involvement in the
history of ancient Israel,
in the life, death, and
resurrection of Jesus,
and in the establishing
and development of the
early church is the sub
ject matter of the Bible.
As the Gospel of John
says about its contents,
“These are written so
that you may come to
believe that Jesus is the
Messiah, the Son of God,
and that through believ
ing you may have life in
his name” (20:31). What
John says of Jesus, all
of the biblical writers,
editors, and compilers
would say about what
they produced: “We have
said these things in these
ways so that you might
believe that God involves
God’s self in the world
and in our lives.”
This doesn’t mean,
though, that the biblical
writers aren’t willing to
tell about the negative as
pects of the story. Their
conviction that God is
involved in the story
they are telling doesn’t
lessen their
awareness that
God chooses
to work in and
through frail
and fallible
human beings.
And human
beings can and
do sometimes
make a mess of
things.
Take the
Bible’s portray
al of David, for example.
According to the Old
Testament, David was the
greatest king Israel ever
had. God chose David
to be king, judging him
to be a man after God’s
own heart (1 Samuel
13:14). David conquered
the city of Jerusalem
and made it his capital.
By moving the ark of the
covenant into
the city, he also
made it Israel’s
religious center.
He more or
less united the
twelve tribes of
Israel under a
central govern
ment (I say
“more or less”
because the
unity was far
from perfect).
Through the prophet
Nathan, God even
promised David that his
descendants would reign
forever, which turned out
to be about four hundred
years, so the promise
came to be interpreted
messianically—a de
scendant of David would
establish God’s eternal
kingdom. Christians
understand Jesus to be
the fulfillment of that
promise.
But according to what
biblical scholars call
the Succession Narra
tive, which is found in 2
Samuel 9-1 Kings 2, the
great king David made
some serious errors and
committed some scandal
ous sins. He committed
adultery with a woman
named Bathsheba, and
when she became preg
nant, he arranged to have
her husband Uriah killed
so he could marry the
widow. David also failed
to deal with serious
problems in his family,
inaction that resulted in
the path to his successor
being shrouded in scan
dal and violence.
So,even though the
biblical writers’ agenda
was to show how God
was actively involved in
ancient Israel’s history,
they still reported the
negative elements of that
history.
This seems to me to
be a good example for
any nation to follow. It’s
understandable that a
nation wants to celebrate
the positive aspects of
its history. But a wise
people is willing to name
and deal with the nega
tive parts of its story. A
wise people is willing to
tell even the truth that is
painful to face.
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 EDITOR
Honor police, sheriffs
deputies on June 13
I write to you on
behalf of all the police
officers and sheriff’s
officer in Pike County.
We have all seen the
negativity and malice
toward those who
bravely serve and pro
tect our families.
It is important to
support those who
wear the badge as our
local police department
and our sheriff’s peace
officers do. They go
out every day, leaving
their families at home,
while they faithfully
protect the communi
ties they serve. As they
go out and say goodbye
to their families, they
don’t know if they will
return home or in what
condition they will
arrive home. Yet these
same officers continue
to uphold and defend
the oath that they took
to protect the commu
nity, even under such
negativity and malice.
The American Family
Association has des
ignated Sunday, June
13 as a day of prayer
and appreciation for
law enforcement. I am
participating and invite
our community to join
me and millions of
Americans in showing
these law enforcement
officers our respect and
appreciation, as well
as offering prayers for
their safety.
So I say to all of our
men and women in law
enforcement, “Thank
you or your service!”
SINCERELY,
TERESA BUCKALEW
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SUBMITTED PHOTO
Rock Springs
Class of 2021
seniors recently
took part in a
mission trip to
Alaska. Pictured
are (l-r) Head of
School Bruce
Reagan, Aaron
Frey, Bo Pasley,
Carson Dingier,
Camden Clear,
Wesley Hollar,
Byron Gibson,
Brittany Ander
son, Scooter
Bailey, Morgan
Surrett, Charity
Blalock, Karissa
Patterson, Wil
low Weldon,
Makayla Benton,
Amber Bates,
Holly Bates, Rock
Springs Church
Missions Director
Don Mapp and
April Mapp.
RSCA seniors take mission trip to Alaska
The 2021 Senior class
from Rock Springs Chris
tian Academy partici
pated in a mission trip to
Alaska. Fifteen students
from RSCA spent a week
in Wasilla, Alaska, mak
ing a difference in many
people’s lives.
The students worked
with several homeless
ministries by preparing
and serving meals, cloth
ing ministry, and service
projects with Teen Chal
lenge.
It gave the students a
look into a very different
life where people strug
gle to have things that
we take for granted, such
as food, decent clothing,
and a place to call home.
The partnership with
Praying Pelican Missions
and working with a local
church opened the door
for them to share a few
moments with someone
less fortunate and show
them the love of Jesus
Christ.
Pike County Journal Reporter's
letter printing guidelines
The Pike County Jour
nal Reporter welcomes
letters to the editor.
For a letter to be
considered, include
the writer’s actual
name, address and
telephone number.
We publish name
only. Letters from
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often than every other
week.
Limit letters to 250
words or less. Shorter
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All letters are subject
to editing.
Personal attacks on
private citizens, po
litical endorsements or
letters that are racially
divisive will not be
considered.
Drop letters by the
office on the court
house square, mail
them to P.O. Box 789,
Zebulon, 30295, fax
them to 770.567.8814 or
email them to news@
pikecountygeorgia.com.
For additional
information call
770.567.3446.
SGES Finance Club earns top state honors
The St. George’s
Episcopal School Finance
Club, under president
Adam Boggs, entered two
teams into the Georgia
Stock Market Game
organized by the Georgia
Council on Economic
Education.
The Stock Market
Game is an exciting simu
lation that gives students
in grades 4-12 the oppor
tunity to invest a virtual
$100,000 for 10 weeks in
real stocks, bonds, and
mutual funds.
At the end of the 10
weeks, teams meeting
all the requirements
with the highest total
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Finance Club Members include (l-r): Isabella Hubbard, Riley Kate Thacker, Constance Potter,
Parker Deignan, Adam Boggs, Jack Hancher, McKenzie English and Rylee Cook.
equity are eligible for
a variety of prizes and
awards. This statewide
competition included
participants in both
public and indepen
dent schools. Both of
St. George’s teams did
exceptionally well.
Under team captain
Parker Deignan, the team
placed first in the third
congressional district.
At a recent virtual
awards ceremony, this
St. George’s Stock Market
Game team was recog
nized statewide.
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, Molena,
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 BWAIN W. PENN
100 YEARS AGO
June 10, 1921: Pike residents read of their
senators, Tom Watson and W.J. Harris, joining with
other U.S. senators to fight immigration, in par
ticular to keep out European anarchists.
75 YEARS AGO
June 13, 1946: Spencer Lifsey, son of Mr. and
Mrs. J.F. Lifsey of Meansville, was discharged from
the Navy with two years service mainly in the
European theatre. Ribbons Lifsey earned included:
Asia-Pacific, Philippines Liberation and Victory,
plus four Battle Stars.
50 YEARS AGO
June 10, 1971: Six Pike County high seniors
were chosen as members of Outstanding Ameri
can High School Students and competed for
scholarships. They were Ellen Yearwood, Mary B.
English, William Hendricks, Donald Manley, Rose
mary Dunn, Susan Sharpe and Ruth Scoggins.
25 YEARS AGO
June 12, 1996: Patriotic banners arrived for
residents and businesses in preparation for the
4th of July celebration on June 29. A parade from
the high school to downtown would feature Pike’s
most decorated veteran as Grand Marshal.