This morning I awoke rather early, somewhat in hopes of going fishing, yet more hopeful to somehow make a difference for the Kingdom. Having read the morning hurricane updates, taken notice of a few comments made by folks with far too much time on their hands, I have arrived at a not so new conclusion. You see, it is ever more apparent to me that this nation needs Jesus more than ever, and we are truly in far greater danger than we care to admit. This week Deborah and I stretched our finances beyond the limit and rented a home for a woman who was hours away from homelessness. The details are not important but let me assure you, the reasons for her pending homelessness were beyond her immediate control. Being led by the Spirit, we trusted Him and took the appropriate action. As we moved her from the shack that had been the home of her deceased uncle (our friend), the landlord showed up with a deputy sheriff. The ensuing events truly do not deserve discussion with the exception of the attitudes of each of these men; an attitude which, I am afraid, is far too prevalent in our nation today. You see, to them this woman who had fallen on hard times was something less than human, unworthy of even the slightest hospitality. These men did not know this woman nor did they care enough to find out about her. It mattered not that her uncle had recently passed, the one man who had cared for her and her siblings so faithfully for so many years. You see, his sister, her mother, had been murdered when she was a small child. The siblings had been bounced around for years until their grandmother (a Godly woman) took them in. Grandma raised them until her death and the children became homeless again as another uncle kicked them out of the home Grandma had purchased for the children. But the point truly is not their story as much as it is mankind's story. You see, God created these people, all of them, everyone mentioned in these wanderings of my mind. They were and are each of them created in the image of God, as are we. Thus being the case, how is it, I ask, that we as human beings, all with the same Father, can fall so far from the truth that we are all created equal and bear great value, if to no one else, to the King of all creation? As I mentioned earlier, after reading on the Web this morning, I see attacks on Christians, republicans, and those who choose to make a moral stand. Why? Are not the very good and moral standards in the Word of God exactly what this country was founded upon? The answer, by the way, is yes, and that is factual! Then how can we as a nation stand by and watch ourselves be lowered to third-world country standards where human life has no value, unborn babies are slaughtered, people are thrown about like refuse, and where men have somehow elevated themselves with money as if they had the power to change anything in this world without God's permission? If I sound angry, please forgive me, I am not. I am frustrated, yes, frustrated. I am frustrated with the fact that the enemy of our souls and the enemy of our Father has so easily deceived man once again. He has led far too many into rebellion and selfishness, and they have become now more willing than ever to follow him down the road to death and destruction. My heart aches today for the state of our nation. I pray that the Lord would be gracious and merciful, for without His grace and mercy we truly are headed for what we deserve. Remember today that there are many you will come into contact with, and every single one of them is a child of the King; worthy of your love. Gene Burroughs, Servant/Pastor