Change of location for a few days

Marilyn Monroe found dead 50 years ago today. Here she is larger than life. I find it very hard to see her as an 86 year old, I am sure given a chance she would have much preferred aging to celluloid immortality.

My farewell study leave begins early in the morning. The midwest corn field tour of parts of Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa. Two new books and lots of others to finish on Kindle, some sights and sounds to discover, some old friends and new friends to connect with, and a new fall season to think about. Some sermons to hear and songs to sing with other believers as well. And, photos of interest, of course.

Today I spoke about our desire to see the kingdom of God come and the fact that we live in a broken world that is part of the plan of our testing, and growth and service to this world. Good government and helpful laws can make the world function better, but it will not ever become the visible Kingdom of God that we would hope to see.

On the other hand, I believe it is truly possible to see the upward movement of culture and civilization in a positive direction, we can grow, we can make peaceful coexistence happen when we value human life and live with good laws, opportunity, and freedom. In that sense we and many other countries have been "a city set on a hill, a new jerusalem".