Truth for our times | Eastern NC Now

Hemp’s Loophole, When Shepherd’s Sip, Dressing to the Lowest Common Denominator
 

Each week, I try to bring you insights that matter -issues shaping both our culture and the conscience of our state. In this edition of Truth for Our Times, we examine three topics that touch every level of public life - from our laws to our pulpits to our sense of dignity and reverence.

1. North Carolina’s Efforts to Confront the Hemp Loophole: A Legislative Overview
Unregulated hemp products - Delta-8 gummies, vapes, and drinks - are flooding North Carolina’s market, often reaching the hands of minors. Lawmakers are working to close the loopholes that allow these intoxicating substances to slip through our legal system unchecked. This article outlines seven bills introduced in the General Assembly this year - what they would do, where they stand, and why urgent action is needed to protect our communities from this new frontier of addiction and abuse.

2. When Shepherds Sip from the World’s Cup
A single image - two respected ministers raising glasses of whiskey - becomes the launching point for a sobering question: What happens when those entrusted with sacred influence blur the lines between liberty and holiness? I explore why the personal conduct of spiritual leaders carries eternal weight, why abstinence remains the higher path for those who shepherd others, and how the church’s witness is clouded when we sip from the same cup that intoxicates the world.

3. Are We Dressing to the Lowest Common Denominator?
Guest columnist Annie Holmquist offers a powerful reflection on what our clothing says about our character. Have we lowered our standards - even in church - to fit in with a culture that celebrates the casual and forgets the sacred? Drawing from Roger Scruton and C.S. Lewis, this piece calls us to recover dignity, modesty, and respect - not through pride, but through an appreciation for the beauty of propriety and distinction.

Our culture is adrift morally, spiritually, and aesthetically, but truth still steadies the compass. I pray that these articles will challenge you, encourage you, and remind you that holiness, order, and excellence are not relics of the past - they are marks of God’s people in every generation.

With gratitude for your continued prayers and partnership,

Rev. Mark H. Creech
Director of Government Relations, Return America

RevMarkCreech.org