Mailbag

Cultivating community

Fifty years ago, my family spent several months as guests of a Bruderhof community in the United States while between pastorates. Even though we never joined, our lives were deeply touched by the experience.
    —Richard Purchase / Holiday, Fla.

Your article was a textbook example of greenwashing. Farming cows for meat is the least sustainable type of food production on the planet—contributing more greenhouse gas emissions and requiring more water and land than any other food source. If you care about ­creation and biomimicry, interview scientists and environmentalists, not cowboys and animal farmers.
    —Gina Hinton / Gig Harbor, Wash.

I was thrilled to read the article describing regenerative agriculture practices and their fundamental basis as fulfilling God’s command to be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. We need more education about this and more practitioners of it.
    —Benjamin Michael / Seale, Ala.

Kudos to Amy Lewis for getting it right. As Christ-following farmers, we have a sacred responsibility to regenerate both our soil communities and our human neighbor communities. To paraphrase G.K. Chesterton: As our understanding increases, we become smaller.
    —Vernon Peterson / Kingsburg, Calif.

Everything together

If Amy Lewis could not categorically say after her three-day visit that the Danthonia Bruderhof community is not a cult, then why do such a lengthy article, especially when she could only question “approved people”? There were many unanswered questions and troubling remarks made by Lewis and community members.
    —Elizabeth Kiesle / Temple, Texas

Lighten up!

I liked how Janie B. Cheaney noted that God has a sense of humor, as displayed in the case of Sarah and Abraham. It is important to not take ourselves too seriously, and humor distinguishes us from the animals. It puts a shine on misery, brings us joy, and lifts our spirits.
    —Richard Lombard / Columbus, Ohio

Painfully hip or too big to fail?

I don’t get the “He Gets Us” Jesus. If a 30-second sound bite to get a message out is the goal, they would be better off showing a screen that says, “He Died for Us.” That’s a sound bite with teeth.
    —Liz Smith / Baton Rouge, La.

Social sickness

Sometimes my heart wants to despair of God’s mercy after reading articles like this one. Having teenage grandkids, we intercede for them daily for protection in body, mind, and spirit. If God had not given us the hope to “take heart, because I have overcome the world,” where else could we find peace?
    —Shari Hulcy / Romeo, Mich.

I found Mary Jackson’s article fascinating and terrifying.
    —Sarah Collen / Omaha, Neb.

How does the U.S. monitor airspace violations?

I suggest you give credit to the Navy photographer who took the photograph used for this article: Petty Officer 1st Class Tyler Thompson. The U.S. military has dedicated photographers who capture imagery to ensure Americans know and understand their military while creating a historical record.
    —U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Javan W. Rasnake / The Pentagon, Arlington, Va.

Corrections

Jesus suffered on the cross for six hours (“Lighten up!” Feb. 25, p. 42).

Natalyn Joyner was wrongly identified as a ­psychologist in her letter to the editor (Mailbag, March 11, p. 8).