the sky is falling!

-Going to an interfaith dialogue forum, and being introduced to the man speaking about extremism in Christianity. He was told that I was a Presbyterian minister, and asked which seminary I attended. I said Columbia, and his face lit up with recognition. Now, usually this happens because people assume it's affiliated with the university, but then I say it's in Georgia and they get a bit confused. When I told him it was in Georgia, he said, 'Oh yes, that's home to Walter Brueggemann and Kathleen O'Connor!' These are two wonderful professors at Columbia, and my face then lit up with the joy of a connection to a place that meant so much to me. We discussed everything from how to address issues of violence in scripture to how to teach rather than indoctrinate followers of our particular faith.

-Sitting in a quirky restaurant, reading a book by candlelight and sipping a rich glass of red wine.

-The man working below a construction site who said 'Watch your head!' seconds before a small piece of plaster fell beside him. He laughed and said, 'I should watch mine!'