Dangerous journeys, contentious crossings

[ April 27 ] Sophia Lee and Mindy Belz (“How full is FULL?,” p. 34) reported with compassion and clarity on the complex and tragic elements of the U.S. immigration issue. But until we solve illegal immigration, division, inaction, and suffering will continue, for both present and future U.S. citizens. —Michael DuMez / Oostburg, Wis.

Great research and writing from Lee. —Christina Wilson / Thousand Oaks, Calif.

It’s up to every sovereign nation to define and enforce its own immigration policy, and it’s not the duty of the United States to admit every single would-be immigrant. —Hunter O’Ryan on Facebook

Thank you to Belz for her insightful and challenging report. Christians must push for national and global policy to help these millions of desperate people. We must search our own hearts, come to grips with our own fears, and awake to compassionate action. —Allen Johnson on wng.org

Belz’s column on immigration had many insightful comments, but I don’t think she was fair to President Trump. We can’t have a real conversation about immigration until we have walls, border security, and other changes he has proposed. —Bob Shillingstad / Hayden, Idaho

I grew up as a missionary kid in Taiwan and China, so I don’t expect people who are not raised in a Christian culture to care very much about foreigners and strangers. But I find it troubling when professing Christians care more about comfortable lifestyles than other human beings. —Wayne Asbury on wng.org

The blame for the massive problem on the border belongs to the Mexican government for allowing these people to cross through its country. —Norman Friedland / Clear Lake, Iowa

Thanks for this sensible and helpful column. Learning to look at immigration through the lens of migration seems to me a needed and useful correction. —Steve Froehlich / Ithaca, N.Y.

It is well …

[ April 27 ] Yes, Janie B. Cheaney, I have been “blessed by the work of someone who turned out to be a false prophet.” Thank you for your humbling missive on Horatio Spafford, who wrote “It Is Well With My Soul.” It is refreshing to be reminded God can use anyone for His glory. —Pamela Coleman / Houston, Texas

This was a jarring reminder of the necessity to “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.” The road to sanctification is an uphill battle, even for those like Spafford who seem at the pinnacle of faith. —Darla Dykstra / Kansas City, Mo.

God inspired the song is how I see it. It’s one of my favorites, and the story of how it came to be is, too. The song endures and comforts. —William Peck on Facebook

Some friends of Richard Baxter of Kidderminster reminded him how many and what useful books he had written for the instruction of the church. He replied, “I was but a pen in God’s hand, and what praise is due to a pen?” —Thomas Christiansen / Seattle, Wash.

Happy and productive

[ April 27 ] This is a beautiful story. It’s so sad that people don’t understand how much joy a person with Down syndrome can bring into their family. My sister-in-law had DS. We look forward to seeing her in heaven and hearing her without the speech impediment. She will have much to tell. —Lowell White on wng.org

My uncle Johnny, born about the same time as Chris Gargiulo, had DS and cerebral palsy. Back then it was remarkable that these families took their children home instead of institutionalizing them. But now our neighbor’s child has DS and is in her freshman year at college. What a great God we serve. —Libby Johnson on Facebook

Georgia on my mind

[ April 27 ] The News Analysis is my new favorite feature. It’s a good recap of the latest news with just enough analysis to put the news into its Biblical context. —Paul Gebel / Columbia, S.C.

Regarding the controversy in Georgia, I can’t get past the part where Alyssa Milano calls a law protecting unborn babies “so evil.” —Elaine Neumeyer on wng.org

All joking aside

[ April 27 ] Humor has so much value in keeping dialogue open—another reason totalitarian regimes seek to shut it down. —James Trice on wng.org

I wonder if a culture that will not laugh at itself cannot truly cry about itself. —Neil Evans on wng.org

Telescopes and theodicy

[ April 27 ] Let me get this straight: Some scientists made up the words “dark matter” and “dark energy” to explain something they cannot otherwise explain. Without this dark stuff, the laws of physics may not be laws? So, the smarter humans become, the more they realize how dumb they are? —Bob Cremer on wng.org

Mountain movers

[ April 27 ] In my 30 years in Medellín, Colombia, in sports ministry, I have seen God do so much more to redeem this city beyond what you reported. There is still much to do, with carryovers from the cartel life, but Medellín is an example of God’s transforming power. —Mark Wittig / Medellín, Colombia

Code complexities

[ April 27 ] Excellent column. Most of us are hardcore legalists. —Nathan Carpenter on Facebook

Bookmarks

[ April 27 ] Another useful book about Judaism is What I Wish My Christian Friends Knew About Judaism by Robert Schoen, a practicing Jew. He offers an unusual, nonacademic glimpse into how a modern Jew explains his faith to others with a Biblical framework. —Ken Paxton / Murphys, Calif.

Corrections

The series of Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka in April killed fewer than 300 people (“Shaken, but not broken,” May 11, p. 8).

Chabad adherents believe their religious observance will bring about the advent of the Messiah (“A house is not only a home,” April 13, p. 50).

David Reagan, author of The Jewish People: Rejected or Beloved?, is not Jewish (“Understanding Judaism,” April 13, p. 22).

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

It is well …

[ April 27 ] In our Christian worship we don’t have to rely on “bad fruit” to praise God. We have the Psalms, which will never compromise on universalism or hell. “Let us sing for joy to the Lord,” as the Psalmist says. —Robert H. McFarland / Topeka, Kan.

God seems to prefer songs sung by imperfect people over expressions uttered out of coercion. —Dave Rissler on Facebook

Happy and productive

[ April 27 ] Chris Gargiulo reminds me of Larry, a man with Down syndrome who graced our congregation for years before he died in 2011. He always wore a smile and greeted everyone in church. For a while a young man visited who, to put it bluntly, we had a hard time liking. But Larry would shake his hand and say, “I’m happy to see you today.” Larry taught us much about unconditional love and accepting grace. We miss him. —Phil Evaul / Sale Creek, Tenn.

This brought tears to my eyes. My daughter has DS and is now 18. Last week we were told how much she has taught the grad student at the university where she has speech therapy. —Jan Opsvig on Facebook

This type of story is what makes WORLD different from and better than every other journalistic publication. Thank you. —Greg Mangrum on wng.org

On being had

[ April 13 ] Andrée Seu Peterson’s column on the changing rationales for abortion is one of her finest. She outlines the serial deception of abortionists and offers one indisputable example of how it is often impossible to reason with those who flee from the Light. —Robert Stroud / Seabeck, Wash.