Not forgotten

[ June 8 ] Thanks for Jamie Dean’s article. We lost my husband to Lewy body dementia at age 56. In that dark time our church was a bright light for us. The pastors’ weekly visits, the deacons’ aid, and the congregation’s prayers all helped to bear us up. The church was a constant reminder that Christ is our only comfort in life and in death. —Roxanne Ivarson / Lakewood, Colo.

Churches must minister to the needs of caregivers and individuals with dementia. God’s image remains imprinted on their hearts despite the ravages of the disease. —Rhonda Anderson / Plymouth, Wis.

I wept when I saw this article. I cared for both my parents from a dual diagnosis of dementia in 2010 until their deaths in 2012 and 2016. I never doubted God was with me even when I cried out to Him in pain, uncertainty, and sorrow, but our church didn’t seem to understand. —Cynthia Tully on wng.org

Thank you from the bottom of this dementia caregiver’s heart. I cannot do it alone. I’m grateful that our church stepped up when we got the diagnosis, and many have continued as things worsened at an alarming pace. —Rosa Edwards on wng.org

My husband has been living the Alzheimer’s nightmare for nine years now. Old friends just haven’t come to see him. One told me that after visiting others in similar situations he had nightmares that it was going to happen to him. I realized it was fear, basically. —Virginia H. Salzman / Tucson, Ariz.

A scandal afoot?

[ June 8 ] Jenny Rough did a great job reporting a potentially volatile issue in a fair way. Even if the pastors received those expensive shoes as gifts, wearing them publicly is enough to arouse resentment. —Karen Davis / Exton, Pa.

There’s no excuse for this. For a true pastor, the more people you reach the longer the list grows of things you could do with an extra thousand dollars, such as helping a desperate young family with medical bills. —Suzanna Peterson McDowell on Facebook

As a pastor’s wife, I feel this tension all the time. How will our congregation view our new vehicle? Our kids’ clothes? Our vacation? We want to be good stewards but not slaves to others’ opinions. Only God sees our hearts. Still, I’ve never considered buying a pair of thousand-dollar shoes. —Katie Powner on wng.org

Looming gallows

[ June 8 ] I wish our young people would understand the things Marvin Olasky knows from experience about socialism. This is a dangerous time. May we preserve the freedom, opportunities, and capitalism that made this country great. —Louise E. Desclos / Nashua, N.H.

How many causes have been hijacked by evil men? And how many men began with altruistic motives only to find themselves on the other side when the day is done? It is dangerous to ignore the realities of history. —Bobbie Keith on wng.org

I appreciated the observation that tyranny seems inevitable after a revolution because the most ruthless people fill the power vacuum. It is like the parable of the unclean spirit who leaves a person but then returns with others even more wicked, so that “the last state of that person is worse than the first.” So it goes with evil generations. —Mel Heuberger on wng.org

Heart to heart with Laci Green

[ June 8 ] Our culture teaches that to disagree is to be hateful. Thank you for modeling respectful engagement with a neighbor without compromising the truth of Scripture. —Steven Lange / Louisville, Ky.

This is awesome! Sophia Lee spoke with a so-called enemy in a kind, rational, vulnerable, and nonjudgmental way. If only our politicians could do the same. —Christina Wilson on wng.org

The secret heart

[ June 8 ] Thanks to Janie B. Cheaney for reminding us of original sin. Everyday events teach us this obvious fact: Sinners all are we! —Stephen Leonard / Vidalia, Ga.

The heroes in those terrible shootings truly acted in a Christ-like manner. Thank you for acknowledging them. —Jennifer Eason on Facebook

Hearts gone cold

[ June 8 ] Joel Belz rightly highlighted the self-deception in Susan Smith, who drowned her children, and in those who promote abortion. Our culture goes to great lengths to redefine a child as a lump of tissue, yet the presence of post-abortion emotional issues is evidence that we know it is wrong. —Chris Bennett / Quarryville, Pa.

Saladin’s men

[ June 8 ] Good to see somebody who understands the Muslim threat to our country. —Howard Tull / Baton Rouge, La.

I teach English to Somali refugees, devout Muslims all. Last week Ayan, seeing me newly wheelchair-confined, promised in her clumsy (but improving!) English to pray to Allah for my speedy recovery. Am I naïve for not believing that praying for my recovery is the deception and wanting me beheaded is the reality? Most of us never get close enough to the heart of a Muslim to see what’s there, and this column will only encourage fear and anger. —Steve Lazicki / Faribault, Minn.

D-Day plus 75 years

[ June 8 ] This is such an amazing and inspiring story. What a different world it could be if, like the heroes of D-Day, we stopped sniping at one another and joined together to fight against evil and for the freedom to flourish. —Susan Williams on Facebook

Eisenhower understood how important the D-Day invasion was strategically, committing to it despite frightful uncertainties. He was devoted to the men, spending hours with the 101st Airborne paratroopers before they boarded for a mission that advisers warned could be a catastrophe. To us today the victory seems inevitable. We don’t consider other possible outcomes, and so we will never understand the resolution required to live through this history. —Nolan Nelson / Eugene, Ore.

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

Not forgotten

[ June 8 ] You captured so many of the issues, demonstrating how the Church can show God’s love and grace in its care for caregivers and those suffering from the various dementias. —Bernadette Oinonen / Townsend, Mass.

A scandal afoot?

[ June 8 ] You don’t need to overspend on sneakers to sin with money. We all like nice things, but we should all also want to deny ourselves. —Alison Tweed Agnew on Facebook

They seem more like rock stars than pastors, and like their musical contemporaries they depend on their image and on their fans’ generous financial support. —Robert Currie / Roswell, Ga.

Heart to heart with Laci Green

[ June 8 ] It was very refreshing to hear two peers with different points of view talking about things that matter. —Paul Merrill / Littleton, Colo.

Green is pretty resilient. I can only imagine what such toxicity after success on a national scale would do to a young person. I pray she finds the Way. —James Massey on Facebook

The secret heart

[ June 8 ] The Church must step up to the task of bringing change to our toxic society. The warning that “‘following your heart’ is the world’s worst advice because the heart is deceitful above all things” is a powerful word. —Dick Robinson / Roswell, Ga.

Hearts gone cold

[ June 8 ] The hormonal imbalance that causes post-partum depression is very real. Lack of sleep can be a major contributor. If a mother has no support, I can see it happening. —Connie Wallner Peterson on Facebook