Abraham Lincoln famously paraphrased the Good Book in a speech to the Illinois State Republican convention with regard to the deep divisions he witnessed in our nation over slavery just prior to the Civil War: “A house divided against itself will not stand.” This timeless wisdom, which is still true today, holds sway over Bourbon County and several of our communities. We are divided east and west, by socio-economic factors, politics, local issues, national issues, old grudges, urban and rural, and the list goes on.

These divisions seem more pronounced because of social media and YouTube broadcasting public forums, but it remains true that the lack of ability or effort to reach a consensus over basic issues has prevented us from solving problems. At times our county and our cities have looked chaotic.

All these dynamics are the enemies of trust, which is a critical ingredient in moving organizations and communities forward. Unfortunately, outsiders see these dark lines drawn throughout our communities and want no part of it.

Thankfully, positive developments are occurring around our area; the county and the city are working to reduce the expenses of both by working together and sharing resources. Benevolent men, women, and organizations are charting paths to work together to address the needs of the community. More is achieved when resources are shared and pooled.

This is effort is vital as we face megatrends, the impact of which are challenging to mitigate. These are difficult opponents to face as a team, much more so as divided communities. The need to swallow our collective pride and work to repair old rifts and grudges is critical. We are all in the same boat, navigating the turbulent waters faced by rural America. We cannot afford the luxury of division.

Bourbon County REDI is looking to be a catalyst for cooperation, reconciliation, and positive change. If you have ideas as to how we can better eliminate division, please email our Economic Development Director, Rob Harrington at [email protected]. We would very much appreciate your thoughts.

A family of four entered a local restaurant, ordered lunch, and holding hands, bowed their heads to pray.

Suddenly a woman at a nearby table turned and confronted them. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I don’t need you to shove your God in my face. I have the right to eat without you forcing your religion down my throat.”

The father quietly answered, “We have the right to pray in public.”

Not so, according to the offended woman. “You’re making me really uncomfortable. I don’t believe what you believe, so you probably need to stop.”

As the family continued praying, the woman’s volume escalated. “I’m just in shock. I can’t believe you need to put your values on someone else.”

Other restaurant customers were privy to the dialogue.

Intentionally. After all, this was the television show, What Would You Do? that is hosted by John Quiñones. If you haven’t seen it, you should try to catch an episode.

Argumentative scenes are staged, unbeknownst to the non-actors whose reactions are caught by hidden cameras. The hope is that someone will have the guts to defend the one being mistreated or attacked.

In this case, a bold patron finally spoke up. “I think you need to leave this room or put your fingers in your ears. Why should they pray silently?”

The woman (remember, an actress) refused to be silenced. “They should get out.” The gutsy non-actor refused to quit. “I don’t think so. You need to shut up so they can pray.”

Following the scene, Quiñones entered with his camera crew to interview the intervener as well as those who did nothing.

One who refused to speak up had this to say: “I thought this was escalating and was going to ruin the meal for everybody in this room.” (Good excuse to say nothing, right?)

Switch to the next scene.

Same actors, but this time in a different restaurant where another couple joined the praying family.

When the verbal assaults started, an observing family got up to leave.

The actress-woman, spewing her anti-prayer-in-public comments, addressed the exiting group: “Thanks for agreeing with me.”

She was not prepared for the father’s comment.

“We are leaving because of you.”

What would you have done?

1 Thessalonians 5:14 is a passage of Scripture that tells us to “…encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.”

Put yourself in that restaurant. Would you defend the one being bullied, or would you, like the majority of the patrons in the examples above, say nothing?

I can tell you what I would do, and remaining silent would not be one of the options.

I’m just not sure my defense of the ones praying would be being “patient with them all” (“all” meaning the one criticizing the pray-ers).

So, Christians, let’s put the shoe on the other foot.

What if you were in a restaurant and the people at the table next to you prayed aloud to Allah or even Satan?

Would you react unlovingly and spew venomous assaults?

Would you walk out, feeling that your religious beliefs had been maligned, informing the manager that you would never cross the doorway of that restaurant again?

Or would you back those praying against others who might vocalize their displeasure?

It’s easy to defend those with whom you agree, but when they go against your beliefs? What would you do?

Keys to the Kingdom

Ever since I was a little girl I’ve been very fond of monkeys. (I can even imitate the sounds of a chimpanzee.) I distinctly remember sitting on my Mom’s lap and asking her, “Can I have a baby brother or sister?“ She simply replied, “No.“ Without missing a beat, I then asked, “Well, can I have a monkey?“ Without missing a beat, Mom gave me a flat-out “No.“ One of my favorite TV shows in 1976 was “B.J. and the Bear” — not because the young trucker was good looking but because his pet chimp was so adorable! When visiting the zoo once, I was standing on the other side of the bars lightheartedly watching a big chimpanzee when (to my astonishment) he threw poop right at me! What an unkind thing to do! That was my first up-close-and-personal experience of “shock and awe.“

Humans aren’t prone to throw poop, but they’re apt to throw negative words at people. We can make or break someone’s day by what we say. Of all people, believers need to get a handle on the words that come out of our mouth. It’s pretty safe to say that Christians aren’t tempted to rob the bank, steal a car, run off with the neighbor’s spouse, or cheat on their income taxes. But often times we’re tempted to say surly words.

The Book of Proverbs provides ample instructions on the right (God-fearing) way to talk. “Self-control means controlling the tongue. A quick retort can ruin everything. The words of the wise soothe and heal” (Proverbs 12:16,18 TLB). We have the ability to encourage (build up) or discourage (tear down) someone. “A soft answer turns away wrath, but harsh words cause quarrels. Gentle words cause life and health; griping brings discouragement” (Proverbs 15:1,4 TLB). The question to ask ourselves is, “What does this person need to hear today?” Rather than “What do I want to get off my chest?”

It’s wise to ask God to lead your conversation when you’re going to meet someone for lunch or coffee, business, etc. God cares about the words you speak, not just your actions. God also cares and hears how you talk to your family when you’re home alone with them. “How wonderful it is to be able to say the right thing at the right time. The Lord delights in kind words. A good man thinks before he speaks” (Proverbs 15:23,26,28 TLB).

I’ve heard it said that since there are 31 chapters in Proverbs, we should read one every day of the month. It sure wouldn’t hurt us to have a daily reminder on how to manage our mouths. “Kind words are like honey — enjoyable and healthful. Gossip separates the best of friends” (Proverbs 16:24,28 TLB). “The man of few words and settled mind is wise; therefore even a fool is thought to be wise when he is silent. It pays to keep his mouth shut” (Proverbs 17:27,28 TLB). “Keep your mouth closed and you’ll stay out of trouble” (Proverbs 21:23 TLB).

My sweet mother used to say, “If you can’t say anything good, then don’t say anything at all.” I’m hopeful that the older I get the more like my Mom I’ll become. Underlined in my late husband’s Bible is this verse: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14 NLT).

The Key: Throw kind and positive words at somebody and make their day.

In a previous column entitled “Local Patriots,” I made the connection between economic opportunities afforded to a community and the quality of their leaders. It just makes sense that any type of organization, whether it is government, business, or charity, rises or falls according to the effectiveness of the people in charge.

Leadership is even more critical in rural American communities, as we are fighting the megatrends that are making life difficult for us. There are few easy answers, so it requires creative, opportunistic, and steady hands on the helm. It is so easy to take a risk and make a big mistake; or, more critically, miss opportunities that have a short open window.

Over the course of my lifetime, it seems as if we have changed the way we look at leadership and evaluate the people in charge. No matter what leadership books one reads, all describe critical elements of competency, character, communication, and compassion. Seems that many 21^st century Americans are willing to overlook major gaps in one or more of these areas if the candidate is willing to support two or three hot-button issues. Leaders should be selected based on credentials, not popularity or showmanship.

Additionally, once we elect people who have been brave enough to run for office, we think nothing of castigating them online or in public forums, whether all the facts have been considered or if even one shred of truth exists in the criticisms. It is no wonder high-quality people are reluctant to run for office, or leave office after one or two terms. Who would want to put themselves and their families through the continual negative barrage?

How do we encourage the best leadership possible in rural America? Begin with encouraging and supporting those who are currently serving. You might be dubious about their politics or uneasy about the latest gossip regarding their personal lives, but we need our elected officials to succeed. Additionally, I consider it the height of cowardice to spread rumors or post half-truths or outright lies on social media about a leader in our community. Get the facts right and go to the people involved; don’t light your hair on fire and go running around saying, “the sky is falling” every time a shadow crosses your path.

Once we have established a pattern of supporting, respecting, and encouraging our leaders, our best and brightest will always be willing to serve. Let’s work together, holding each other accountable to civil and just behavior, and make leadership in Bourbon County something to be coveted and desired again.

My friends, Sue and Jessica, are finding their faith stretched. Sue’s mother, Edith, shows signs of mental illness. So does Jessica’s son, a victim of drug-induced schizophrenia. The emotional roller-coaster ride upon which my dear friends ride is grievous. One day, the mentally ill individuals are kind and trusting; the next, they are paranoid and accusatory. My friends constantly are looking for verbal weapons to combat the struggle.

A few minutes ago, I hung up from a phone call with Sue. Her elderly mother last month was told that she has only a few months to live, so my friend and her husband, John, traveled to her home in Texas to help clean up the mess created by her hoarding and inability to handle her finances.

After years of not being allowed in her mother’s house, time was up. Things were worse than expected. Unpaid bills and stock reports piled in heaps amidst hundreds of magazines and newspapers.

It was obvious that John needed to acquire a power-of-attorney to protect his mother-in-law. Edith signed the documents. Which lasted about two weeks. Sue’s mother then began accusing her only daughter and husband of taking advantage, stealing her gold coins and documents from her safety deposit box. The details aren’t necessary.

Sue wept as she shared the latest allegations, all unfounded. No amount of reason could change her mother’s decision…until, that is, her mind flipped into a loving, understanding, accepting perspective. Once again, John could have the power of attorney…until, that is, Edith trumped up more reasons to negate her judgment.

Jessica’s son, filled with guilt over past regressions, remains hopeless and unable to see how God wants to turn his badness into goodness. (God’s good at that, you know.) I shared with Jessica of pastors who had turned from their evil ways to lead growing, dynamic churches, after repenting and admitting their failures, and I asked that she share that with her son.

Mind and Soul Foundation documents that 25% of Christians suffer from a form of mental illness, yet most are ashamed to admit their issues. Both of my friends understand the complexities of dealing with dysfunctional loved ones and are continuing to love and support their mentally-ill relatives.

Still, loving the unlovely might be the most difficult challenge we all are asked to do.

God is our example of how to pull it off since He never gives up on us.

As Christians, we are to be mindful of damaging things we say to those who suffer from mental illness. “Surrender your infirmity to God.” “You can will this away.” “God is testing your faith.” “Jesus is calling you to repent of your sins.”

Psychologists question why we would ask such things, citing how we wouldn’t say that to a cancer victim. (Sadly, I have heard those “helpful” messages expressed to people with physical illnesses.)

Sometimes, no words are the best words. Merely practicing the ministry of presence might be the most powerful weapon on which we can rely.

Keys to the Kingdom

I don’t have an athletic bone in my body, however, I didn’t mind PE in school as long as it was exercises, crab soccer, relay races, or running to the Stockton Lake’s first boat dock and back. But when we played volleyball, softball, or basketball, I was completely lost. I don’t remember the coach ever explaining how to play any of these games. It seemed to me that all the other girls knew what to do, how to do it, and enjoyed it. I didn’t have a clue how to do any of these sports. When I played the outfield (and I happened to get the ball) I wouldn’t know where to throw it! I couldn’t seem to pay attention to these games because I simply wasn’t interested. It was comforting to know that I would eventually graduate and that would be the end of my athletic exasperations.

Not everyone is cut out to be a physical athlete, but all believers are to be spiritual athletes. In order to stand up under fire, spiritual muscles are a requirement. We must participate in lifelong training of our spirit. Paul is writing about spiritual growth and says, “Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong” (Hebrews 5:14 NLT). The only way to properly distinguish between good and evil is to read the user’s manual, which is God’s Word. “For the free gift of eternal salvation is now being offered to everyone; and along with this gift comes the realization that God wants us to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures and to live good, God-fearing lives day after day” (Titus 2:12 TLB).

Lazy people practice being lazy. Disciplined people practice discipline. You have to practice whatever you’re interested in to be any good at it. “Exercise yourself spiritually and practice being a better Christian, because that will help you not only now in this life, but in the next life too” (1 Timothy 4:8 TLB).

It seems to me that, if Christ followers really loved God, we would want to dedicate time in His Word. It’s comparable to spending time in the gym and working out to build muscles and strength. The Bible tells us how to be spiritual giants…if we’re interested. I recently read the book of Galatians. My vocabulary isn’t very sophisticated, but at the top of these pages I wrote: Wow, powerful, great news, live by love and faith, believe and reap blessings. “Jesus replied, ’But even more blessed are all who hear the Word of God and put it into practice’” (Luke 11:28 NLT).

Paul writes to the Christians in Colosse and tells them to continue to work on their spiritual muscles: “I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong. And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him. Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness“ (Colossians 2:5-7 NLT). When believers are disciplined and deeply committed to Christ Jesus as Lord, the devil is dialing 911.

God the Father has given His children triumphant grace to live a life of practicing His Word. He has given us powerful promises so we can be strong in faith, goodness, understanding, self-control, patient endurance, godliness, mercy, and love.

The Key: Flex your spiritual muscles and practice your strong faith outside the gym.

My writings have been primarily focused on Bourbon County and how we stack up to the counties in our area; however, it is wise to take a step back periodically and see how we fit into a larger context. Census trends over the last ten years for the United States of America and Kansas can be a window into our past and a foreshadowing of our future.

Census data indicates that our national population growth rate has been declining over the past few decades, caused by lower birth rates and the aging of the historically large Baby Boom generation. In fact, without immigration, the USA would have been near zero growth over the last 10 years. This would explain why the growth rate of Kansas lagged behind the national average by 4.2 percentage points at 2.1%; we tend to welcome fewer immigrants every year than east and west coast states. That is illustrated by the fact that the Kansas white population is 10 percentage points higher than the national number of 76.3%; we lag significantly behind in every ethnic group. The diversity numbers are the lowest in Southeast Kansas counties, where every county in the region lost population between census dates.

Surprisingly, Kansas tends to be younger on average than the USA as a whole, especially in the under 18 demographic. Kansans are still having children, while other parts of the country are relying upon migration or immigration for growth. The percentage of Kansans over 65 is slightly below the national average, despite Bourbon County being 3.7 percentage points above the average. Bourbon County has more retired people and additional people too young to earn a wage. Tough factors to overcome.

An important indicator is housing, and the numbers are a little foreboding for locals. The average home value in the state is $151,900 versus $217,500 nationally; in Bourbon County, the number is $82,700. Unfortunately, the average Kansan pays a slightly higher monthly cost for their undervalued home compared to the other 49 states and US territories; a symptom of the high real estate tax phenomenon we all endure.

Lastly, the health care/poverty statistics could be our biggest challenge as Kansans and residents of Bourbon County. The national poverty rate has been declining and stands at 10.5%; that number is 11.4% for Kansas and 15.6% for Bourbon County. To make matters worse, Kansas is 1.4 percentage points over the national average of citizens without health care insurance at 10.9%, and we have a much higher percentage of disabled residents under the age of 65, especially in Bourbon County. This means more stress on our local safety net and health care services.

Who is leading the growth in the USA? Energy sector states such as North Dakota, low tax/regulation states such as Texas and Florida and states conducive to immigration like New York. Because our energy sector is not large, higher taxes, and minimal immigration, expect rural Kansas to struggle to maintain population in the foreseeable future.

Joan’s neighbor invited Greg and Joan and another couple over for dinner. They live in an affluent suburb of Kansas City, and ever since the neighbors moved in, Greg and Joan have attempted to make small talk but found the new residents rather odd. Perhaps this was a break-through, a chance to see that their first impressions were wrong. Greg asked what they could bring for dinner but was told it would be catered, so they were to bring nothing.

My friend Joan shared with a group of us what happened when they arrived for dinner. The visiting foursome were brought into the kitchen and told to help themselves. On the stove was one covered pot. They were to use the tongs and grab one of the six hotdogs boiling in the pot. Six buns lie on a paper plate, ketchup and mustard were in their squeezable containers, and small bags of potato chips lie nearby. All were given water to drink. That was it: wieners, condiments, buns, chips and water. I’ve been to dinner at Joan’s. She puts her best palate forward when hosting guests. Appetizers are stunning, both in presentation and taste, and meals are feasts. Joan said that she and her husband avoided eye contact with the two couples for fear of bursting into hysterics. They looked for ways to praise the meal but could think of none. I mean, what do you say? “Your caterer really knocked herself out this time.” “Goodness, these must be Nathan’s all-beef wieners. Yum.”

The one-wiener-per-person miserliness was not nearly as objectionable as the conversation which centered around how the hosts had met. When the wife first was introduced to her (now) husband’s mother, the mother commented that she was shocked her son had a girlfriend because she “always thought he was gay.” Joan said the host showed no reaction, assuming this was not the first time he had heard his wife reveal that information. (You can’t make this stuff up.)

Joan and Greg are Christians and know that they are to love the unlovely. They realize that they need to be sharing Jesus with their unpleasant friends because very likely, that’s what God planned when the couple moved in next door. Since that night, however, she and her husband have avoided their neighbors. Our guilt-ridden friend questioned if they should reciprocate the dinner invitation in hopes of enlightening their neighbors to what real hospitality looks like. Still, she admitted, the food was the least of their concerns.

What made that woman divulge such private information about her husband in front of strangers? And how do those strangers then respond to such a comment? None of us had answers except that we Christians all live by the command “Love your neighbor as yourself.” And since this is a literal neighbor, well…ignoring them doesn’t seem to be a viable option. Joan shared that she is praying about the matter, but when we pressed her, she admitted that she is praying that her neighbors move. Although we all know God can’t be pleased with such a petition, I’m not so sure I wouldn’t be doing likewise.

There’s a lot of discussion right now about the vaccine and whether a person should or shouldn’t get it.  It doesn’t take long before you find people with differing opinions, and if I’m not mistaken we’ve always valued our freedoms in America that allow us to have differences of opinions.

However, I do want to tell you about a virus that is much deadlier than the Coronavirus, and if you don’t get the vaccine YOU WILL ABSOLUTELY DIE.  The virus is called SIN.  We’ve all got it, according to Romans 3:23.  Sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4), and sin is not just doing the wrong thing, but it’s failing to do what is right (James 4:17).  We can say with Paul that though we want to do the right thing, we don’t do it, and we don’t want to do the wrong thing, but we still do it (Romans 7:19).  It’s the human thing to do.  It’s the nature that we inherited from Adam (Romans 5:12; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22).  Where does all of this lead to?  It leads to death.  Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death…”  Ezekiel 18:20 says, “The soul who sins is the one who will die…”  There are many other such passages that help us understand that sin=death.

There’s only one way to get around this absolute certainty:  that is to get the vaccine.  The vaccine is Jesus.  Only Jesus can save you from sin’s wage.  Only Jesus can free you from sin’s penalty.  I didn’t quote to you the whole verse from Romans 6:23 a while ago.  It says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  There are lots of other verses that teach us forgiveness is through Jesus (Ephesians 1:7; Acts 13:38,39; 1 John 1:9; 1 Timothy 2:5,6; Hebrews 10:10-14).

Could I encourage you to get the vaccine for your deadly virus of sin?  Say “YES” to Jesus, so that when you stand before Him He will say “YES” to you.  If you need help in knowing how to find Him, I’d love to help you.

Kevin Moyers,

Rinehart Christian Church

I have written much about how Bourbon County compares with other SEK counties, and we come out looking pretty good. What about Vernon County, Missouri? Every morning, we get quite an influx of commuters that cross the state line for work, taking advantage of their low property tax rates and Kansas income tax rates. It is worth looking at the newly issued U.S. Census data to see how we stack up.

Vernon County (VC) is quite a bit larger than Bourbon County (BB) in geography and population, by about 30% in area and 37% in the number of residents. In the last 10 years, VC contracted by 6.9% to 19,707 people; BB lost 5.4% of our population, which now sits at 14,360. The residents of VC represent less diversity than BB at 93.6% white versus 89.7%. BB has more people over 65 and under the age of 18, while VC has a slightly higher percentage of female residents.

Housing is an interesting contrast. The average value of a home in VC is $98,300 compared to $82,700 in BB; interestingly, the average monthly cost to own a home in VC is $152 lower than in BB. One can only assume that while a VC resident pays more for their mortgage, they pay a much lower price for real estate taxes. Monthly rental costs were about the same, but VC had 11 building permits issued in 2020 compared to one in BB (not all new constructions have required permitting). As I discussed in a previous column, VC has a decided housing advantage.

Business activity statistics are about the same, but one noticeable negative trend was pronounced in BB; in recent years, we lost 8.6% of our workforce compared to 2.2% for VC. While retail is stronger in VC, BB has a decided manufacturing edge. Computers in households and households with broadband access are at much higher percentages in VC.

While personal income statistics are similar in both counties, and both counties rank above the national average in poverty statistics, the numbers are worse for VC: 17.1% compared to 15.6%. Also higher than the national average is the number of individuals without health insurance in the two counties; that percentage is 15.5% for VC, 10.8% for BB.

The similarities between the two counties are striking, but VC has a decided advantage where it counts: housing. This is strongly indicated by building permits, home prices, lower monthly cost of home ownership, retail sales, and workforce retention.

What can we do? We cannot close the gap all at once, but we can chip away at the factors that exacerbate the difference. Lowering real estate taxes, incentivizing new construction, improving our infrastructure, and facilitating broadband access over time will help.

Economic development is a multi-front challenge because of stiff competitors like VC, so we have to keep making progress on all fields of the battle.