Where is bin Laden now?
I was appalled that the Baptist Standard would print the article about Osama bin Laden, “Two-thirds of Americans say bin Laden’s in hell” (May 23).
As Christians, we are warned consistently throughout the Bible to not be found guilty of judging another person’s heart. We sometimes find ourselves in the position of needing to judge actions in order to take the proper precautions to prevent destruction, but judging the eternal destination of a soul is God’s decision, not ours.
As a Sunday school teacher of many years, I believe that the editorial staff of the Baptist Standard owes its readers an apology for not adhering to responsible journalism.
Sarah Stone
Lindale
70 years of love
Six years ago, my husband and I moved our little family and all our possessions into the parsonage next door to a small country church in West Texas. Mrs. Ray, Matt’s first secretary, took one look at him and said, “Bro. Matt, I just want you to know something: I wear a wig.”
Sign up for our weekly edition and get all our headlines in your inbox on Thursdays
This was our first memory of Margie, a feisty 81-year-old who could whip up fried pies that make a man cry, produce a bulletin on a computer that outlived its time and faithfully serve her pastor, no matter what. We were even more surprised to learn her husband, Claude, then 85, was the church groundskeeper. Even July heat could not deter him from slowly, mechanically push-mowing the real estate in front of our church. Claude and Margie are those kind of people.
Born in a generation that understood work and devotion, they never have been ones to “retire” from service to the Lord. I have thought about that a lot as I scanned in pictures of their lives to my computer. Young faces—in love, in military service, in awe of a new baby son, in joy over a new grandbaby—have paraded before me. This month, Claude and Margie will celebrate 70 years of sticking by one another through drought, heartache and square-dancing classes! I am struck by the amazing fortitude of this sweet couple.
Claude and Margie have given us more than giant pumpkins, fresh okra and fried pies; they have given us hope—that love lasts a lifetime and service for God’s kingdom is never in vain.
Lee Baird
Hart
What do you think? Because we affirm the Baptist principle of the priesthood of all believers, we value hearing from our readers. Send letters to Editor Marv Knox by mail: P.O. Box 660267, Dallas 75266-0267; or by e-mail: [email protected]. Due to space considerations, limit letters to 250 words, and only one letter per writer per quarter.
We seek to connect God’s story and God’s people around the world. To learn more about God’s story, click here.
Send comments and feedback to Eric Black, our editor. For comments to be published, please specify “letter to the editor.” Maximum length for publication is 300 words.