Earlier today it was announced that Joy Behar will be leaving "The View" A television talk show that, as our Publisher recalls starred a 4 headed monster. There has also been speculation that Elisabeth Hasselbeck may also be on the way out, but she has been spared unemployment so far. All of us here at the Holabird Advocate were shocked to here this. By "this" we mean that "The View" is still on the air!

     The Kornfield County area had about .17 of an inch of rain topped off with an inch and a half of snow over the weekend. Driving around Mitchell was difficult, but not impossible for our Publisher. He drove extra special carefully Saturday night. He was stopped at the corner of Burr and Havens because of the red light, when another driver was moving toward him at what seemed an alarming rate. The driver did swerve to miss him and manage to miss rear ending the car.

     Sunday brought a little more snow, and some blowing, which in addition to the time change lowered church attendance somewhat. The snow stopped in time for the closing performance of "Alone Together" at the Pepsi-Cola Theatre. After that, Pizza Hut sent word that the services of our Publisher would not be required that evening, so he didn't have to change clothes!

This morning has I studied my Upper Room lesson, my eyes were opened to something new. The scripture was the account of the Great Commission found in Acts 1. This account mentions going into Samaria by name, the only one to do so. It brings up an interesting point.

Jesus told us to love our enemies. As a Jew, Jesus had no greater enemy than the Samaritans. It was customary for the Jew of that time to go around Samaria, but Jesus went through Samaria, and even talked to the locals. The woman at the well was a Samaritan! A "good" Samaritan was held up as an example. No wonder the Pharisees wanted him dead! This was radical behavior!

Do you have Samaritans in your life, despised people that you try to avoid at all cost? There sure are some people that do, and I find them on Facebook. There are quite a few of them. Do you use disgusting words like libtard or repubnazi either online or in person to anyone? That person is YOUR Samaritan!  I really hope you don't use those words (for sure you don't use both of them for the intended purpose) or any other epithet of hatred.

Hatred is a very contagious mental disorder, and a very dangerous one. How do we love our enemies? That's a question that has been causing Christian scholars to scratch their heads for thousands of years, and yet Jesus has shown us by example that it can be done. the rest of us, myself included must work on this. There are people who smuggle bibles into China and those who walk across the street to try to make peace with their neighbor. Which one are you? God be with you and do the best you can!