It’s been a long hot fall.
The political climate; the negative advertising; the partisanship that concentrates on drawing various single-issue voters to their side; the non-attention to the fact there are millions of suffering people in our society. We have jobless, homeless, addicted, mentally and physically ill without sufficient recourse to aid. Ignored by a society that overall is more interested in “what’s in it for me” than in fulfilling the Christian heritage and responsibility that we so resolutely proclaim.
It isn’t that we intentionally disclaim that responsibility. Neglect just comes to (some of) us with our inborn desire for power and money, also known as greed. Yet throughout our Christian Bible are 2,000 reminders — actually mandates — that have been identified. I recently read a treatise concluding that too many of us tend to leave out — or cut out — these mandates, leaving a holey Holy Bible.
But that is a national problem, and we’ve had local issues that added greatly to the meandering passage of time, finally ending with our vote on Tuesday. Both issues have been positively resolved for our civic future. Financing for our new hospital was approved; Iola city government will be representative.
Now, approaching 80, I need to find something else to slow time, even if it does mean losing a few hours of sleep.
Ray Shannon,
Iola, Kan.
