Brotherly Love?



Being in church this morning reminded me of something that happened weeks ago that is still bothering me. Preachers over the years have reminded us how important brotherly love is. I have always heard it is “better to live a sermon than to preach a sermon.” The problem is this, how can we expect our congregation to show brotherly love, when some of our ministers of the gospel do not practice what they preach? Please tell me how a man who claims to be called to preach can barely muster up a “Hello” to people that have been in his church in the past and/or who he has known for many years. How is it that another “man of God,” who was your very own preacher at one time, can walk past you and not even say as much as “Hello,” or “How are you doing?”

These are the kind of things that burden me so much and make me ask myself why I even bother to go to church at all. I know that the Lord’s word says, “forsake not to assemble yourself together ...,” but it can be very disheartening when you have gone to church with people for years, even prayed with them and washed their feet and, for whatever reason, you no longer attend that church and those people shun you when they see you out.

How sad is that? How pathetic is it when strangers show more love and concern for you than the ones that once called themselves your brother and sister? How is it that they cannot even acknowledge your existence?

I just want to say this. God, please don’t ever let me get so heady and high-minded that I think because I go to a certain church or I dress a certain way that I am better than anyone. Let me always have a humbling spirit and sincere love for my brothers and sisters. No wonder the Lord said, “it is by their fruits you shall know them ...”

— Lisa L. Smith, Jeffersonville





Road blocks aplenty in Clarksville



I understand that everything must grow into something bigger and better for our community, but at this moment, every street in Clarksville has some sort of road block due to construction. My question is why do they have to work on every road at the same time?

The end of my street at Eastern Boulevard has been closed for a week, and I understood they would have to close it at one point or other, so I am good with that. However, we try to travel Kopp Lane, and it is also closed for work. We go down Hallmark Drive and guess what — that is also closed. We try to go Applegate Lane and part of that is down. The best way for us just to travel to Lewis and Clark Parkway is by interstate. All of Eastern Boulevard on both sides have places up and down where they are working. Can they not do it like on the interstate, where they start one place and finish it then continue on?

We have no idea as to how long all this construction will take, but I can only imagine what it will be like this summer with kids out of school and more people trying to get through all the mess. I don’t like to complain, but all the construction should have been planned a little different from what it is to allow people like me that just want to get from point A to point B without too much hassle.

Thank you for taking the time to listen to an old cranky woman complain.

— Cheryl Ison, Clarksville



Think before you eat



Have you ever thought about the life of a farm animal?

A dairy cow is artificially inseminated to have one calf after another in order to produce milk. Any mother cow can tell you that childbirth is not painless. The calves are soon torn away from their mothers, so the mothers’ milk can be sold. She grieves over losing her baby, but nobody cares. She is nothing but a milk machine. Her udders can become very heavy, infected and painful. When she is no longer a good producer, she is forced into a truck and hauled to a slaughterhouse. Imagine the terror she experiences as she sees those in front of her being killed! She knows her turn is coming, but she cannot escape!

Many calves are sold to the veal industry. They are chained or in tiny stalls. They can barely move so their muscles atrophy. They are killed when just a few months old.

So many animals are violently killed every day. Do you think God is OK with this? Is an animal’s life less important than ours?

Ask the poor defenseless animals. God bless the vegans. By adopting a vegan diet, you save about 80 animals a year.

— Patti Clodi, South Bend