Reading a New Newspaper

For years I have faithfully read The Pilot newspaper from Southern Pines. I have knows writers, editors, but especially the sports reporters. Someone once said that I must have really known them well since Margaret's picture was in there so much. Now I have started reading the Charlotte Observer - what a contrast! There is much more real news but so far for me less hometown feel.

Let me comment on 3 articles all on the front page. 

First big headline talks about Raeford - closer to SP that to Charlotte. It seems that the owners of House of Raeford had neglected safety issues for a while and got fined for 

it. Something about no safety systems for am

monia leaks = no wonder the turkey and chicken meat is so white! = or is that clorox...

Next article is about neglect too. It is reported that in Goldsboro the Cherry Hospital allowed a patient who choked on his medicine, hit his head and then was left in a 

chair untreated for almost 24 hours in his own urine with no food or water while (according to the video tape) 16 hospital employees played cards, watched TV, talked on their cell phones and goofed off. Then they lied about it to cover it up - but those pesky surveillance cameras .... You can watch the video - I don't know why you would  want to? The man died. The video records other patients checking on him, also eating his food that I am sure he was charge for. At 8:59 PM they finally put him in his room and at 9:27 PM they rushed in to his room with a crash cart to try to save his life - but too little way too late. At 

statement from the man's family lawyer said this as the last sentence of the article, "We need to remember that this was somebody's son, somebody's husband, somebody's father."

Article #3, churches in Charlotte join together to the homeless especially during this cold weather. It stated that on any given night 5,000 people in Charlotte are homeless. Other churches are replenishing the food pantries. One church's youth fasted and raised $48,000 in a cause called. "Pennies for the Homeless."

I checked the online version of The Pilot and the front page says it is cold outside and might get colder!

What do I make of all this info so early in the morning?

Neglect costs money 

• House of Raiford is fined, $178,000
• NC Operations & Health  Division is being paid, 
• Who wants a family member at Cherry Hospital now?
• The family lawyer will be paid handsomely after he delivers a big check to this poor man's family. WE might save money on the court costs - Judges read the paper too and so do defense attorneys.

Money changes hands and makes a difference 

• Teenagers who think about the poor for a whole year and fast gather for those who will never give it back - changes perspectives for a long time!
• St. Matthew Catholic church will donate $100,000 this year to 20 agencies for the homeless
• It would have been cheaper for the House of Raeford to give $100,000 the the homeless and spend $78,000 fixing their ammonia leaks. It has cost them twice that much in bad press. Will you want to but a Turkey from them this week? Unless you live in Raeford ...

What the Pastor of Jerusalem said a long time ago is so true (James 2: 17-18 Message Paraphrase) and it is good business - it also makes it easier to sleep at night. 

14-17Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?
18I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, "Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I'll handle the works department."

Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove.