COLUMN YARBROUGH: In search of good news in these trying times – LaGrange Daily News



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IIt’s hard to find much good news these days as we relive the horrific events of September 11 that claimed the lives of 2,977 innocent souls at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

And then after some 2,500 American deaths, we pulled our troops out of this hell called Afghanistan. Now we will have to endure those Neanderthals who speak Jive, drag their fingers and take their poor inhabitants back to the Dark Ages where women are less than second class citizens and wonder why we went there in the first place.

At home we are procrastinating on vaccinations (I have mine) and masks (I wear mine) and dismantling statues (I don’t have any to demolish. Sorry.) Media – anonymously , sure.

Even the House of God is not immune. The North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church (?) Sued the largest church in its jurisdiction – 10,000 members of Mount Bethel in Cobb County – in the latest iteration of an infighting between the bishop and church members for money, electricity and real estate. I suspect the Baptists are laughing at their Methodist brethren. I suspect that I will be getting a lot of mail from people on both sides of the issue taking me to task and talking about everything that is going on in this unfortunate event except what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount.

But like the proverbial pony in the pile, there’s good news available if you’re willing to dig for it. So, shovel in hand, I suggest the following, starting with the fact that this month of September is Evangelical Heritage Month.

Gospel Legacy Month is the result of the efforts of two Democrats in Congress, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, of Texas, and Senator Blanche Lincoln, of Arkansas, in 2008. It tells me that God does not may not be the exclusive province. of the Christian right after all.

I don’t think jive-speaking Neanderthals, dragging their fingers, or anonymous social media ignorant people are aware that this is Gospel Legacy Month. If they were, they wouldn’t act the way they are. The Methodists neither. In my humble opinion, they could all use a few lines from “Loving God, Loving Each Other”, written by my heroes, Bill and Gloria Gaither, or “God Is Good All The Time”, sung by the exquisite Babbie Mason, of Carroll County, GA, which has the voice of an angel – only better.

The good news is that for me, every month is Gospel Heritage Month.

I grew up being a huge fan of gospel music, listening to the LeFevre Trio – Alphus, Urias and Eva Mae – and Hovie Lister and the Statesmen Quarter, as well as The Happy Goodman Family and Lee Roy Abernathy among others.

But there’s more good news to watch as October is Country Music Month, thanks to Pres. Richard Nixon said so in 1970. Besides opening relations with China, it was perhaps one of Nixon’s finest hours. I must add that if he had listened to some gospel music, like “Not by Might, Not by Power”, the Watergate might never have happened.

By the way, Richard Nixon was the first president to visit the Grand Ole Opry, where the legendary Roy Acuff gave him yo-yo lessons. Write this down and remember you read it here.

Frankly, country music today has gotten a little too smooth for my taste. I have nothing against Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood and Alison Kraus but I am leaning towards Ray Price and Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline and Dolly Parton. Of course, at the top of my list is Willie Nelson. Who else would tire of life and lie down in the middle of the road, waiting for a car to run over them? Fortunately, none did and the rest is history.

I don’t know about you but I already feel a lot better talking about Gospel Heritage Month and Country Music Month instead of this mess in the Middle East, people wanting to fund the police and then set fire to buildings, those who threaten officials’ families anonymously and a bunch of Christians who act like anything but.

The good news is that they will still be there if and when I decide to come back to them. In the meantime, did I tell you that November is model train month?

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