Page 9 - 2015 On The Path

El Dorado NEWS-TIMES – Sunday, October 25, 2015 – 9
Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our
adversaries in today’s world do not have.
—Ronald Reagan
WHAT IS THE CITY
BUT THE
PEOPLE?
Mayor Frank Hash
0610
Continued from Page 8
0605
706 W. Grove St. • 870-863-8444
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COURAGE
If we would turn away from our sin,
Many churches today emphasize small groups. In the first century church, the apostle James wrote to those small groups, “Confess your faults to one another. And pray for one another.”
We need a willingness to admit our sins, our flaws, our law-break- ing. We need to accept all have sinned and come up short. If we are to admit this personally and specifically, we need to know fellow believers will love us in spite of our sins and then pray for us and coach us as we attempt to obediently “go and sin no more” to make better choices that build the communi- ty. We also need to know that the listeners will humble themselves in the same way, that it is a two-way street.
The moral compass of our com- munity and nation will return
when people are held account- able in their homes, schools and churches. These are the places for developing strong leaders who will take a stand at any tailor’s incredu- lous tale of magical clothes.
In the past few decades churches have winked and closed their eyes to sexual immorality. They refuse to see, let alone confront, the obvi- ous. If we want our moral compass be accurate, as families, church-
es and communities, we need to agree to confront those who has lie, cheat, steal, commit adultery, indulge in too much self-centered activities.
We need to love each other.
We also need to love each other enough to expect the other person to make morally good choices, We need to say, “I love you too much to allow you to continue to make that
if we would say to each other, ‘I have
sinned, and I see you sinning; this
is something we need to help each
other with and to get others to hold us
accountable over,’ we would see the
destructive decision.”
As a nation, if we would turn
away from our sin, if we would say, to each other, “I have sinned and I see you sinning; this is something we need to help each other with and to get others to hold us ac- countable over” we would see the changes sought.
changes sought.
Without accountability vertically and laterally we will continue to be like the unclad emperor strutting down the road thinking we look exceptionally grand.
Joan Hershberger is a staff writer for the El Dorado News-Times and can be reached at jhershberger@ eldoradonews.com.