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The word "Gospel" means literally "Good News." There's been some Gospel in our news lately. I'd like
to mention a few encouraging items.
[Jesus] said to them, "Let the little children come to me; do not stop them. ...And he took them up in his arms,
laid his hands on them, and blessed them. Luke 10:14b, 16
It's nice to see Arkansas rated number one in the nation in something that's not athletics or bad. A national report
from Rutgers recently ranked our state's preschool program No. 1 in quality among all 50 states. Three years ago the Arkansas
Better Chance for School Success program began offering quality preschool for 3- and 4-year olds from families with incomes
up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. It's proving to be a good investment.
Educators have realized for a while that children who come from culturally deprived early childhoods enter school already
behind other children who have had stimulating benefits from things like adults reading to them. Even with excellent primary
and secondary education, it seems those children never quite close the early developmental gap.
Recently I had the opportunity to learn from a couple of experts. One is an authority on literacy and the other a specialist
in family systems. Each responded to the same question. What if a child from a home that doesn't have resources for supporting
early development were to be enrolled in a program offering stimulating age-appropriate activities? What if that opportunity
began at a very early age? Maybe the mother and child could attend together, listening to music and stories, exercising motor
skills, learning multiple languages at the mental stage when we have such amazing capacities. Would that child have as good
a shot at the high school honor roll as the average child from a privileged home? Both answered, "Yes." Arkansas'
pre-school program is a great investment for the future of our children.
And all in the crowd were trying to touch [Jesus], for power came out from him and he healed all of them. Luke 6:19
Thumbs up to Governor Huckabee who has arranged for a federal Medicaid waiver to try a modest new bare bones program of
limited health insurance for some of our state's working poor. With money from the tobacco settlement and a 3-to-1 or better
federal match, low-income employees at businesses with fewer than 50 workers will now be able to go to the doctor a half-dozen
times a year and get two prescriptions a month. Employers will pay $15 monthly for employees earning less than twice the
poverty level and $100 per month for higher income workers. The employees will pay a $15-per-month premium and 15 percent
co-payments, up to $1,000 out-of-pocket. There is no high-dollar coverage for catastrophic illness. It's pretty modest,
but it's more than nothing, and nothing is what approximately one-fourth of Arkansans now have for health insurance during
their prime working years.
More encouraging health news comes from a proposal to lower our exposure to cancer-causing second-hand smoke. There is
good energy behind a move to limit indoor smoking in public places statewide. It's been refreshing in Fayetteville not to
have to inhale other people's exhaust since our smoking ban began.
The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you
were aliens in the land of Egypt. Leviticus 19:34
I found it hopeful last week that the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee worked to propose a creative way for undocumented
workers in the U.S. to earn their citizenship. They also proposed a more realistic guest-worker program to open up legal
agricultural jobs. Business interests are hailing the ideas as helpful ways for meeting labor needs in many industries.
So much of the economic energy in our area is serviced by people who are willing to journey here to do the hard work for low
pay that characterizes many of our service and manufacturing jobs. Many of these undocumented workers have been paying Social
Security and withholding taxes that they have not been able to credit toward their retirement or file for a refund. Finally
it's nice to see some sound economic principles and compassionate ethics creating some positive alternatives in the wasteland
of our failed immigration policies.
Brighter children, healthier workers and hope for immigrants. There's been some Gospel happening around us.
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