This is the Daily Article podcast for Thursday, September the 15th, 2022.

Welcome.

Today's article is written by Dr. Jim Denison and narrated by Chris Elkins.

The news broke this morning that freight rail companies and unions representing tens of thousands of workers

have reached a tentative agreement

to avoid a strike. Following all-night talks, the agreement now heads to union members for a

ratification vote. While the vote is tallied, workers have agreed that they will not strike.

Why is this important to you? The Association of American Railroads Trade Group estimated that a strike would cost the American economy $2 billion a day.

According to the Associated Press, railroads carry cars, coal, chemicals, grain, imported goods, and other products and raw materials throughout the country. A shutdown,

even if brief, would delay critical shipments and ripple across the economy. A railroad strike

would cancel commuter trains, cause energy prices to rise, disrupt deliveries of produce, meat,

and building supplies, and add to inflation.

I do not know a single person who works for a railroad.

Before this morning's news broke, I had no idea that a railroad strike could impact me personally.

But problems we cannot see are no less real.

Because we don't know they exist, we don't respond to them until they grow so large we must. As a result, our unseen problems can be the most

dangerous problems we face. Therein lies my point today. Yesterday, we discussed the power of

private character. Today, let's focus on the

alternative, the peril of private sin. This topic became urgent to me when I read a verse in the

book of Ezekiel that arrested my attention. The Lord said of his sinful people in Ezekiel 6.9, I have been broken over their hoaring heart

that has departed from me and over their eyes that go hoaring after their idols.

We cannot see the heart of another person or the images their eyes see.

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