Why Do Good?

Saying for the day: But I’ve got to say: It’s a lot easier to do good if you put your faith in a book that requires you to do good. A.J. Jacobs

As my wife took the three gallons of milk to the Community Table I began to think of the impact the Church has on our world. All across America there are food pantries run not by societies of atheists but by the Church in one form or another. Take away all religion and there would be an awful lot of hungry people.
Without religion there is no moral compass. There is no reason to love our neighbor. Without God it’s every person for themselves.
I really don’t think I want to live in such a world.
There are those like my friend BBC who think religion is the cause of all evil. He points to incidents where one religious group attacks another. Those things do happen. But he ignores the vast good that people do as they try to live by Jesus command to love their neighbor as themselves.
All across America volunteers visit people in prison and in jails. They spend afternoons at nursing homes adding a little something to the life of the residents. They open their church buildings to all kinds of community needs. They give of their time to serve others. Not because they are good people but because they are trying to do what Jesus asks of them.
I wouldn’t want to live in a world without the Church.

#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is just a little strange. It is Sunday and the siege of the trees continues. Last Lutheran will hold services this morning. Some of its members are stuck outside of town and can’t come in because the trees are in the way but those that are stuck in town need some word of comfort and hope. Of course it will be easy for some of them to get to church because they are sleeping in the fellowship hall.
Pastor Joan has prepared a sermon on the promises of God and God’s loving intervention. She will say that even the driblet may be part of God’s plan to save us.
The call of the town for help from the outside world has been ignored thus far. It seems that leaders don’t believe that trees can surround and threaten a town. In fact when Eino called his friend at Homeland Security the guy had a hard time stopping laughing. He said they had more important things to worry about than terrorist trees. Mrs. Trumble got the same reaction from her friend the governor. It seems that if you haven’t experienced it you can’t believe that trees could surround or threaten a town. The general feeling of those being contacted is that somebody has had too much to drink.
Dr. Fortress , however, the general manager of the Money Pit and Cash Loss Railroad (MPCLR) believes because his trains can’t get in or out of Pigeon Falls. Trees have closed off both tunnels. He is preparing to send in his personal helicopter to survey the town but he is waiting until after the Packer game( important things first)
The town still has television and at least they can watch the Packers play for the championship. It will take their minds off of their problems. An extra large screen television has been set up in the basement of Last Lutheran so the people staying there can watch the game.
Will the outside world ever believe? Will help come? How do you fight an army of trees. Is there one “pure of heart” in all Pigeon Falls? Will the Packers Win? And of course is Tommy UK really the undertaker’s kid?
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Today's Link-Confessions of a Lutheran Husker- Tears shed for a changing comic strip.
It was a great day. It was -15 this morning and the wind chill was -30 but we went to church. The road was fine. THe sermon was great . The bell choir and the senior choir joined together in an anthem. I shut my eyes and thought this is what the heavenly choir sounds like. I swear I could almost hear the angels sing. After church there was coffee before we ventured back out into the cold. After lunch Betty and Pennie went to Pennie's office to do some cleaning and I watched the Patriots win. NOw I am going to watch the Green Bay game. Then I will need a breathing treatment.
GBYA