Dear Editor:

Christians around the world are in the season of Lent during which all are asked to look closely and honestly at themselves in relationship to God and others. It can be said that searching within is not just for this season, but is an ongoing life-project.Sometimes I fee that sin is being so overlooked in our world. By God's standards, there are so many things that people don't consider sin anymore. Killing the innocent through abortion, the practice of same-sex marriage, stealing, lying, cheating, adultery to name a few. Everything in the Ten Commandments have been made into 10 human suggestions.Can we then depend on our Christian preachers to preach in the pulpit about sin in the 21st century? Not really. Many denominations abandoned that about 50 years ago. Such talk may make the congregation feel uneasy, pick up and go somewhere else where sin isn't even mentioned.God grieves for our world. He gives signs for us everyday to return to the practice of His commandments. So when you see the picture on television, in the newspapers and the Internet of wars, mass murder, starvation, addiction, rise of cancer rates, earth and weather changes, drought, injustice and hear the news on radio, stop and pay attention.God invites everyone to look at their own sins; I will do the same. Don't despair though. A better world awaits us here and later if we take heed now and not wait. Lent turns the world around one person at a time.Nicholas ButrieLansford