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THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. JULY 16, 2009 — PAGE 5A
Opinions
Worship a golden casket now,
or walk a golden street later
Dear Editor:
I was a Michael Jackson fan
in the 1980s. Who wasn't?
His talent and music was
everywhere. It was on the new
cable station called “MTV,”
displayed on posters, climbing
the record charts, and enter
taining moon-walking fans
in packed concert halls. But
Jackson's story is a sad one,
because as time went on he
just got weirder, greedier, and
more lost.
In Romans 1, Paul talks
about unbelief and its conse
quences. “For although they
knew God, they neither glo
rified him as God nor gave
thanks to him, but their think
ing became futile and then-
foolish hearts were darkened.
Although they claimed to be
wise, they became fools ...
They exchanged the truth of
God for a lie...”
I chose not to watch any of
the Jackson funeral coverage.
But one photograph did catch
my eye. I saw a raised dais
in front of adoring multitudes
who were singing, dancing,
and mourning while celebrat
ing a weird man inside a gold
en casket.
It reminded me of the gold
en calf, and the truth the sons
of Israel exchanged for a lie.
Remember when Moses went
up the mountain to talk with
God, and he was gone for
40 days and 40 nights? The
sons of Israel were told by
the Lord, “You shall not make
other gods besides Me; gods
of silver or gods of gold, you
shall not make for yourselves.”
(Ex 20:23). But they got impa
tient. Thinking that Moses was
never coming back, they took
matters into their own hands.
They made a golden calf, an
idol, before which, they sang,
danced, sacrificed, and cel
ebrated. (Ex 32:1-6)
The multitudes who revered
a singer who spent millions
on himself as fast as he could
get it, who dangled his baby
out a high-rise window, who
injected drugs daily, starved
his body, and underwent face
changing operations because
of self hatred, have made a
poor exchange of truth for idol
worship.
I read that the nation's
business came to a complete
stop during the funeral as the
House staffers were all watch
ing it on the Internet, which
almost crashed under the load.
I wonder how many people
felt let down after the Jackson
hoopla vanished. Maybe the
casket-worshippers are won
dering, “Hmmm, what next? I
feel empty.”
If you feel empty that is
because you are. You have
traded the truth for an idol.
The fact is, you can worship a
golden casket now, or you can
walk a golden street later.
If you want to find out how
to make that empty, let-down
feeling disappear, you can.
Just call or visit any good
bible believing preacher in the
county and he will tell you
about perfect truth and joy. A
few years ago, I exchanged
the lie for truth. In return for
abandoning the golden casket
I will walk on the golden street
in heaven. I hope to see you
on the golden street someday.
And you can be sure, we will
not be moon-walking.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Prata
Comer
Crawford .cont’d from 4A
Getting an ear full
Every year my children
look forward to our sum
mer family vacation. In
fact, after Christmas they
start counting the weeks
until the date arrives. We
always travel to the same
destination and usually
participate in many of the
same activities. This year
wouldn’t be any different,
with the exception that we
planned to extend our stay
by a few extra days.
Somehow I always end
up in charge of the trip —
my husband says that he is
just the driver. With three
children and a very hectic
schedule, this year I only
had time to plan a few days
in advance. I shopped for
bathing suits and sunscreen,
washed and packed every
one’s clothing, and made
a list of items that I would
need to purchase once we
got there. I was worn out
the morning we pulled out
of the driveway.
When we arrived at our
destination, I of course had
to make sure that the car
was unloaded and, like a
drill sergeant, see that all of
the goods were dispensed
in the correct areas. I made
sure that the clothes were
put in the drawers and clos
ets first thing.
By Sherri Stephens
Of course grocery shop
ping was next on the list,
so while everyone took in
the sights and sound of the
ocean, I fought crowds of
beach-goers in the grocery
store. Of course no one was
anywhere to be found when
I returned with 11 bags of
groceries, which needed to
be hauled upstairs into the
condo.
I arose early each morn
ing to cook breakfast, look
over the daily schedule, and
grease everyone up with
sunscreen. After a trip down
to the ocean, which includ
ed hauling sand buckets,
snacks, beach towels and
chairs to and fro, I would
prepare lunch.
The afternoons consisted
of pleasing three children
of three different ages with
a variety of activities. With
my daughter and myself
being allergic to seafood, I
chose to cook dinner most
nights. Of course I didn’t
sleep well, I never do away
from home.
By the end of the week,
my family was very rest
ed. On the other hand, I
was running a fever and
felt terrible. I didn't say
too much because I didn’t
want to put a damper on
the trip. On our final day,
I cooked a big breakfast,
hoping to use up most of the
eggs, bacon and other items
that would go to waste. I
then loaded the car while
everyone was still asleep. A
few hours later, we headed
home.
The next morning, I went
to the doctor and found that
I had a severe ear and sinus
infection. After three days
with no improvement, I
called the doctor back to
complain. She said that she
would change my antibi
otic. I couldn't believe my
infected ears when she then
suggested, “Why don’t you
and your family take a trip
to the beach? “You know,
salt water and ocean air is
great for sinus infections —
you can relax and get all
rested up!”
Sherri Stephens is a col
umnist for MainStreet
Newspapers Inc.
As Barnes found out,
spending tons of money
on TV won't always win
an election. Perdue ran a
racially charged campaign,
but he also had a network
of volunteers who persuad
ed conservative white vot
ers in rural counties to turn
out in large numbers and
boot Barnes from office.
If Barnes tries to run his 2010
campaign by again relying
mostly on waves of TV com
mercials, he may not have
enough money to outspend
his Republican opponent.
The Republican candidate
who might be able to put
the strongest ground game
together is Oxendine. The
insurance commissioner
is a conservative politi
cian who has veered even
more sharply to the right
- if that's possible - and
in the process has probably
locked up the party’s hard
core, religious right faction.
These folks on the far right
are the kind of people who
will walk the streets, knock on
doors, and turn out in droves
on election day. In a race
where there is less money to
spend on TV and more of a
need for grassroots organiz
ing, they could possibly make
the difference for Oxendine
in the Republican primary.
Tom Crawford is the editor
of Capitol Impact's Georgia
Report, an Internet news ser
vice at www.gareport.com
that covers government and
politics in Georgia. He can
be reached at tcrawford@
capitolimpact.net.
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What A River!
Did you know tee ore 54 different
species oi fish in the Chicago
River? Along with the fish, matiards.
herons, wood ducks, muskrats and
beavers cos the river home, too.
the Chicogo Rivet itself is just cne part of the
Chicago Rivet System, wtkch is mote thon 130 miles
long.
In the 1600s, loke Michigan was a source of
drinking water for the city. However, with the waste
put in the Chicogo River by industries located along
its banks, heavy reins would push poUed water
Into the lake. The polluted water led to deaths and
diseose. so they constructed an undetgrouid tumel
to take water from further out in the lake When the
polution problem returned, the flow of the river was
reversed n 1900 so sewage and other waste would
no longer harm the drinking water.
Most ot the fish population is mode up of carp
and goldfish. There are obo bulheods. darters,
minnows, sunfish. boss, ond even trout and sdmon
that come h from lake Michigan,
Eoch yea. 52X00 commercol. recreational and
passenger boots pass through the river. However,
the river is probably most noticeable one day each
year. That's because o ppe titters union dyes the
river green fa St. Patrick's Day.
Can you name 10 items that have been puled
tram the Chteogo River? These ae just some ot the
things that have been found during river deamp
days.
•A 500-pound sate
•A car
•A kitchen sink
•A water heater
•An outhouse
•Gott carts and bolls
•Motacyctes
•Picnic tables
•Shopping carts
•Street signs
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