After an election, reconciliation?

Nov. 21—Joan Walter/Plymouth, Ind.

John Perkins is so right. There is only one race: the human race.

Neil Slattery/Fort Worth, Texas

I wondered why I had not heard of John Perkins before. What an amazing man, and what an amazing ministry.

David A. Williams/Fort Worth, Texas

Perkins’ signing on to Evangelicals for Biden severely taints his heroic record in the fight against bigotry and poverty. To endorse Biden/Harris in light of their public positions to roll back the pro-life protections of the unborn is a stain against Perkins, and his selection as Daniel of the Year is a stain against WORLD.

John Morrison/Winchester, Va.

Marvin Olasky’s article and Perkins’ message need broad exposure today. It is the gospel on the ground, and our country is crying for want of it.

At home in exile

Nov. 21—Genie Ragin/Cumming, Ga.

Mindy Belz’s column on Michael Yerko Nadi moved me to tears. Coupled with the Daniel of the Year profile of John Perkins, I was truly overcome. Praise God for people like them and like Mindy.

Emily Boersma/North Royalton, Ohio

“Of whom the world [is] not worthy …” (Hebrews 11:38) came immediately to mind upon reading Mindy’s column.

Win, lose, or brawl

Nov. 21—Larry Marsh/Colton, Ore.

I do feel sympathy for those who voted for a candidate who did not tell them what he would do if elected.

Wordcraft vs. warcraft

Nov. 21—Chris Bennett/Quarryville, Pa.

Janie B. Cheaney’s column is timely and much needed in our current climate of human interaction. May the Holy Spirit bring about a great awakening in our country and this world so that people will once again be careful to utter words that are in keeping with God’s Word.

David Gibbs/Towanda, Kan.

I love Janie’s hopeful perspective. Recently, I have been thinking about the power of words and how they create reality.

Closing the internet gap

Nov. 21—Ernie Zenone Sr./Folsom, N.J.

After reading the article, I wondered why schools can’t send lessons by mail to overcome internet costs and problems.

Bursting balloons of freedom

Nov. 21—Arthur Taylor Falch/San Francisco, Calif.

For years I have supported ministries that serve the divided people on the Korean Peninsula. All we can do is pray.

Love at long distance

Nov. 21—Erin Aylor/Dardanelle, Ark.

Charissa Koh’s article touched my heart. Of the 26 years my husband, Warren, and I have been married, he’s worked out of state or overseas for 23 of them. It was such a blessing to see another successful couple who have 15 years on us. With the Lord’s guidance, we can make it, too!

Music reviews

Austin Smith/Cheverly, Md.

Arsenio Orteza’s music reviews are the first section of the magazine I flip to. He is brilliant at translating sonic moods into black-and-white prose. His descriptions are eminently useful—and usually highly accurate—in communicating what I can expect to hear when I listen to the albums he reviews.

More letters, emails, and comments we didn’t have space for in the print edition:

After an election, reconciliation?

Nov. 21—Valerie Cody/Gold Bar, Wash.

John Perkins was a good choice for Daniel of the Year: a gentle spirit indeed.

Vicki Thompson/Meridian, Idaho

As God calmed me in the middle of my prayer asking for Him to show up in the lives of those who have filled the atmosphere with hate, the first thing I saw and read afterward was John Perkins’ testimony of God’s love and gentleness.

Closing the internet gap

Nov. 21—Russell Guetschow/Vicksburg, Miss.

You posed the question: “Is the internet a utility?” From my experience, the answer is: “It should be.” I live in a rural area of southwest Michigan. My electric co-op made the decision several years ago to enter the internet business. They ran fiber-optic cable on all their electric poles and now are my provider for high-speed internet service. I pay for the service along with my electric bill. Rates are competitive and customer service is great.

Pricey potty

Nov. 7—Robert Vreugde/Houston, Texas

I was one of many engineers who worked on the UWMS (Universal Waste Management System) space toilet at what is now known as Collins Aerospace. The $23 million price tag may seem like a lot for a toilet but it really isn’t, considering all the one-of-a-kind design challenges, limited flight-acceptable materials, cramped spacecraft volume, system interface issues, and human ergonomic factors. Unlike a toilet on earth, this one had to work in zero gravity, prepare the urine water for recycling, and store fecal matter for manual disposal later—sort of like a super high-tech Diaper Genie. It also had to neutralize the associated smells without exhaust fans or scented candles. I suggested that we call it the “Cosmode,” but that didn’t fly with project management.

Treasuring the universals

Nov. 7—Duncan Merritt/Vestavia Hills, Ala.

I appreciated Marvin Olasky’s reminder of the history of Angela Davis. I suppose it is fitting that a tribute that so completely twists what we are to admire appeared in a magazine called Vanity Fair. In The Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan describes Vanity Fair as a place where the most seductive attractions are offered for sale and Beelzebub is worshipped. A place where Christian’s companion Faithful is tortured and burned at the stake for his faithful expression of the faith; it is judged to be disturbing the peace.

The evolution counter-revolution

March 1, 1997—Ted Freeman/Deer Isle, Maine

As I was cleaning out my study, I went through boxes of folders on numerous topics and ran across the one in which I had been saving information on the evolution/creation debate. In it, I found the March 1, 1997, issue of WORLD. Along with the still interesting article on intelligent design was news and information about still current concerns: North Korea, helping the poor, IRS-targeted audits, etc. Most helpful to me was a column by Steven J. Cole that contained a wonderful illustration of God’s “marvelous miracle of grace.” I tucked that one away in another folder.

Music reviews

Tim Theurer/Mariposa, Calif.

I commend WORLD for its courage in venturing into commentary on areas of music that can be fraught with complexities and controversy. Arsenio Orteza handles it wonderfully.