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If you read the Discipleship Devotional (How Life Makes Me Feel for Others) I wrote on January 16, 2026, you will find the words of Hannah Arendt who said, "The death of human empathy is one of the earliest and most telling signs of a culture about to fall into barbarism." Those words were true when she first wrote them, and they remain true and, in some ways, prophetic today. This past weekend, we once again witnessed the death of another American at the hands of ICE. My heart goes out to the victims (Renee Good and Alex Pretti) and their families. As sad and unfortunate as their deaths are, we, as a country, could be witnessing the eroding of a nation. As a veteran who served our country honorably, I ask myself today, could we be witnessing in real-time the dying of the spirit/soul of America? I hope and pray that the answer is "No". I also hope and pray that whoever wins the next round of elections will lead this country with empathy and compassion, and exemplify them. 

Today, I would like to ask all of my subscribers to pray for the following:

  • Pray for Renee Good and her family. 
  • Pray for Alex Pretti and his family.
  • Pray that Americans learn to listen to and talk to each other, especially during opposing viewpoints. 
  • Pray for the state of Minnesota.
  • Pray for the state of Maine.
  • Pray that we cultivate empathy by exercising open minds and demonstrating a welcoming spirit to strangers. 
  • Pray that we learn and understand that we have more in common than we realize.

Pray for the heart and soul of America.

2026 Copyright (c) Elton L. Young
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