Dear Friends, 

It feels tragically ironic to take inspiration from Ann Frank during America’s pandemics – but still I do. She wrote in part, “That’s the difficulty in these times: ideals, dreams, cherished hopes rise within us, only to meet horrible truth and shatter. It’s a wonder that I haven’t dropped my ideals, yet I keep them because, in spite of everything, I still believe people are good at heart and, looking into the heavens, I think that it will come right, this cruelty will end, and peace and tranquility will return. In the meantime, I must uphold my ideals.” 
So must we, though even people united in ideals may divide over practices. And so, ideally, we must be gracious, that the union sustaining us may become more perfect and, to borrow another phrase, not perish from the earth.

Wishing you blessings for your week,  

Pastor Jack