Off the Editor’s Spike. . .

Off the Editor’s Spike. . .

By Darryl Wilkinson

I know there’s still a couple of issues to go before Father’s Day but this can’t wait. We determined over the weekend that my Dad is still wearing a pair of house shoes bought in 1963. That’s 37 years! Can anyone out there beat that?

Guess we’ve kinda overdone the ties as gifts a few time, yes?

If you’re not reading the essays regularly featured twice monthly on the church directory in this newspaper, please reconsider. These are award winning essays published by The Amy Foundation.

This year’s $10,000 first prize went to Timothy P. Bennett, a youth missionary in France. “Saving Private Ryan: Saving Mankind” recounts the reluctant heroism of the soldiers in Stephen Spielberg’s award-winning film about the Normandy invasion. The article then draws an important spiritual lesson for the reader.

Mr. Bennett says that Spielberg’s “description of these men is very biblically accurate… The men’s motivation for their mission is clear. Most, if not all, are doing it simply to follow orders. They have no allegiance to nor love for Private Ryan.”

Writing his article for the Easter season, Mr. Bennett helps the reader see the limited and imperfect love of man at the same time Easter shows the eternal and pure love of God.

Other award winners in 1999 (that we hope to feature in future issues) include: “Ex-Con: The Remarkable Second Career of Chuck Colson” and “Aha! Call It Revenge of the Church Ladies” and others. There were 1,000 submissions to choose from this year, all first printed in secular, non-religious publications but using a Bible quotation as a relevant reference.

That’s what The Amy Foundation awards encourage writers to do — apply biblical truth to issues of contemporary concern. And that’s why we’re happy and fortunate to have business sponsors providing the space for award winning essays, along with a directory of local worship services.

It’s worth your read.