Welcome Back !

Hello from Birmingham.

It's hard to believe camp is over and I am here in Alabama ready to begin grad school. The more time I spend here in Birmingham the more better I feel about the decision I made to come here. I am currently taking six hours and hope to pick up one more class to bring it to nine hours. It might not seem like a lot, but with just those three classes I will have a total of 27 books to read over the semester. My dorm room was a little shady at first, but after a little help from my parents it is ready to go. Everything is ready to go and I sit down for my first class on Monday.

Despite the intense heat I am growing more and more comfortable here. There is one experience, however, that I have never had before. The experience of being totally alone. I know absolutely no one in Birmingham. Before, going to Lipscomb or even moving to NYC or going to camp; I always knew at least one person. This time around I know not a single soul. It's exciting one minute and lonely the next, but I will have plenty of school work to keep me company.

With my return from camp to civilization comes the return of the Counterpoint. For those who still cling to their national pride and earthly existence, I must warn you that you are going to be challenged this coming year. Come ready to be confronted about the assumptions you have made about the world and your place in it. We still live in a time of war. We still live in a time of obscene wealth in the midst of obscene poverty. We still live in a time when some believe the means of Christ are impractical and at the same time label the means of Bush as productive. The time for holding back is over. It is time to step on some toes. I hope to see you back over the next year as together we strive to look less like the world and more like Christ. Because in a time of conformity, some one needs to be the counterpoint.



CJE



Coming Next Week: The Son of A Carpetener