High-fives for new columnist
I just wanted to give a round of high-fives to both the Daily Herald and Jessica Johnson, a syndicated columnist.
Ms. Johnson is just one of several op-ed writers published by the Herald. It seems to me that one thing sticks out prominently in her columns. She sees the events and issues of the day not merely from her own inherent reason but also through the prism of God and her faith.
Ms. Johnson often integrates her thoughts through the life and witness of the civil rights giant, Martin Luther King Jr. (See, for instance, her column published Sept. 5 on racism.)
It may be good to remember one thing about King: I don't think he ever sought to "go public" by running for a political office. He was, foremost, a preacher of the Christian Gospel - something he remained true to right up to the day he was tragically assassinated. For King, civil rights was founded on his faith.
It's been a little more than 60 years since King spoke of his "Dream" in Washington, D.C. In light of this, here is a book of his sermons you might want to read some day. It's called Strength to Love (Harper and Row, 1963).
His book provides powerful images from Israel's and the early Church's Scriptures for us to ponder about truth and justice.
Readers may have noticed a statement of purpose on the Opinion page in the upper right hand corner: "Our aim: To fear God, to tell the truth and to make money." Obviously, the paper wishes to seek the truth and also be financially solvent. Nevertheless, to both Ms. Johnson and the Daily Herald, please receive my high-fives for including her columns that also help us to "fear God."
William A. Decker
Des Plaines