Ann Coulter, outspoken conservative speaker, author and commentator, is a highly intelligent woman who is purposely antagonistic when addressing sensitive or controversial topics.

I believe she does this in order to goad people into reacting and thinking about the subject being addressed.

When I agree with her, I find her writing witty and inspirational. On the occasions when her barbs are aimed at one of my own precious opinions, I consider her to be well-meaning but misguided.

Recently she wrote a column about the Ebola outbreak and the US doctors and missionaries who have contracted the disease. She compared the cost to the ministries of bringing the infected missionaries back home for treatment to the amount of good they actually accomplished. She also questioned the doctor’s motivation in leaving his family to serve in Africa, saying he could have done more good in some areas of this country, although he might not have received the same recognition for his efforts.

While her words sounded too harsh to some who felt she was attacking Christian missionaries, she made some valid points when she said the following in her deliberately shockingly titled August 6 column:

EBOLA DOC’S CONDITION DOWNGRADED TO ‘IDIOTIC’

Can’t anyone serve Christ in America anymore?…. America, the most powerful, influential nation on Earth, is merely in a pitched battle for its soul.
About 15,000 people are murdered in the U.S. every year. More than 38,000 die of drug overdoses… More than 40 percent of babies are born out of wedlock… All our elite cultural institutions laugh at virginity and celebrate promiscuity.   So no, there’s nothing for a Christian to do here.

These weren’t her only comments, of course, and many Christians reacted to what they felt were insulting accusations against our missionaries with a great deal of outrage.

Her main point, or what I interpreted it to be, is that while overseas missions have a romantic allure and seem to get most of the attention and respect, there is much of missions to be done right here at home.

Perhaps our own country is the next great mission field to plow.

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Matt. 9:37