As you can tell from the picture, I like church parties in Ocean Springs.

The Bryants were in charge of this month’s young adult party, and they decided on a beach party. The weather cooperated beautifully.

There was one unfortunate part to the night – stepping on something sharp while playing in the water sent Tristen to the hospital for a few stitches. Oh, and the bonfire didn’t cooperate for most of the night either.

But in the end, we sat facing the cool ocean breeze. We roasted marshmallows and hot dogs and made s’mores. We threw around the football, and the ladies had a game of volleyball. We watched the sun set over Biloxi. The kids got sand in every body orifice. We spent the night talking to some of the best people in the world.

And somehow we came home with two more kids than we left our house with!

Yes, I like church parties in Ocean Springs.

My friend, Gary, preached some of the funerals for the victims of the Westside school shootings in Jonesboro, Arkansas, in 1998. His eulogies were quoted in many prominent places, including the New York Times, but his Christian message of forgiveness generated hate mail, which, though it shouldn’t, surprised me.

I think we have some sort of psychological need for villains to be inhuman. Do you agree? They do, after all, commit inhuman acts, so we seem to want little to do with anything that might make them relate to us in any shape or form.

Charles Manson. Jeffrey Dahmer. Timothy McVeigh. Osama bin Laden. Saddam Hussein. And now, add Cho Seung-Hui to the list.

But I’m thinking that, though writing off villains as inhuman makes us feel somewhat better about ourselves, it isn’t helpful in understanding how to make anything better.

When the story of the unthinkable tragedy at Virginia Tech broke Monday, I did not miss the irony that I was scheduled to speak on a college campus that night. By the time of my lecture, the shooter had not been identified. When I stood up to speak, there were certain thoughts that came to mind that I shared with the audience: I wonder if anyone had invited the shooter to church Sunday? I wonder if anyone standing in line at Wal-Mart with the shooter had tried to strike up a friendly conversation? In other words, I wonder if anyone had been treating the shooter as a human being?

With those thoughts in mind, I was particularly intrigued by the AP story that came through this afternoon. Matt Apuzzo wrote:

Long before he boiled over, Virginia Tech gunman Cho Seung-Hui was picked on, pushed around and laughed at over his shyness and the strange way he talked when he was a schoolboy in suburban Washington, former classmates say. Chris Davids, a Virginia Tech senior who graduated from Westfield High School in Chantilly, Va., with Cho in 2003, recalled that the South Korean immigrant almost never opened his mouth and would ignore attempts to strike up a conversation. Once, in English class, the teacher had the students read aloud, and when it was Cho’s turn, he just looked down in silence, Davids recalled. Finally, after the teacher threatened him with an F for participation, Cho started to read in a strange, deep voice that sounded “like he had something in his mouth,” Davids said. “As soon as he started reading, the whole class started laughing and pointing and saying, `Go back to China,’” Davids said.

Later in the article, Stephanie Roberts recalled from middle school days:

“There were just some people who were really mean to him and they would push him down and laugh at him. He didn’t speak English really well and they would really make fun of him.”

You remember that he was an English major, right?

On the horrible video that Cho left behind, he said: “”You had a hundred billion chances and ways to have avoided today, but you decided to spill my blood. You forced me into a corner and gave me only one option. The decision was yours. Now you have blood on your hands that will never wash off.”

Let me be clear: Cho is responsible for his horrific actions, and there is no excuse. What he did cannot be projected on anyone else. Everyone is responsible for his or her actions, and Cho is most definitely not an exception.

But there are lessons to be learned, I believe. And if we aren’t willing to acknowledge that he was once a middle school whipping boy, then our hopes for exposing the wrong in the world that leads in these tragic directions will be lost as well.

I’ve heard it so many times it is beginning to turn my stomach: “When asked about the shooter, neighbors recall, ‘He was a loner…’”

Our national epidemic of loneliness seems to be killing us.

Literally.

Blogger isn’t allowing me to add a picture tonight. John Dobbs exults in my misery.

Undaunted, I press on.

After finishing War and Peace by Tolstoy and The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne, it was time for me to buy some more books! Three arrived yesterday, and I began two of them today.

#1: THE JESUS WAY by Eugene Peterson

* In many ways, Peterson has been my pastor. His writings have meant more to me than I could express over the past 6 or 7 years. I bought the third book in his current series just because he wrote it, but imagine my surprise when “The Jesus Way” arrived, appearing to be exactly the thoughts I’m struggling with in my life. What are the odds that the topic of my assigned lecture delivered two nights ago, “In His Steps,” was a summation of everything I’ve been reading for a year or so now? And then, what are the odds that Peterson’s book is titled “The Jesus Way” (kind of similar to “In His Steps,” huh?). It shouldn’t seem odd to hear the sentence, “Christians follow Jesus.” But I’ve already underlined that in Peterson’s book. I’d encourage you to read the transcript of my lecture over at the blog with my wonderful Housefly friends HERE, and when you do, you’ll see why I underlined that sentence – and why it’s necessary to write.

#2: BROTHER TO A DRAGONFLY by Will Campbell

* I’m fascinated by the life of Will Campbell, but up to now, I’ve only read excerpts from his fascinating life. I’ve heard that this book is an autobiography of sorts. There is a sequel I believe, and I’m guessing I’ll be ordering it some day, too. (For a neat summary of Campbell, go HERE. For a really fascinating article for Church of Christ folks, go HERE, too.)

#3: BLUE LIKE JAZZ by Donald Miller.

* This one is waiting on deck, based on whichever of the first two I finish first. I’ve heard for a while now that this is my kind of book. I just read the first page or two and I’m already in agreement. You can check out the author HERE.

Five-hundred miles on the road over eight hours today, including listening to the entire disaster also known as the St. Louis Cardinals game on XM Radio. But the weather was beautiful, and the company wonderful (my wife and youngest daughter), so today has been an enjoyable one.

It got even better tonight when I attended the 4th grade Songbirds concert tonight at our daughter’s elementary school. We listened to an eclectic program, ranging from Stevie Wonder to Singin’ in the Rain, and it was straight-up excellent. I’m now typing on the laptop watching the Sanjaya/Lakisha/Chris disasters back-to-back-to-back on American Idol, and I’m thinking that they’re looking for American Idols in the wrong venue. They should probably try some elementary schools.

After a trip, I sigh to think about getting back in the swing of things tomorrow. To misquote Campolo, it’s Tuesday, but Wednesday’s a-comin’…

It seems odd to be scheduled to deliver a lecture on a college campus tonight, given the tragic news story dominating the nation today. Thoughts and prayers go out to those closest to the horrible situation at Virginia Tech today.

A quick Internet search located the Church of Christ Student Center on the campus. It is just down the street from the dormitory where the early morning shooting took place, but across campus from the engineering building where the majority of the massacre reportedly took place later in the morning. You can read blog updates from one of the ladies associated with the campus ministry in Blacksburg HERE.

As I watched CNN, one of the reporters made the interesting observation that (a) these events generally seem to occur on school grounds, and (b) they seem to occur in America. Neither makes sense.

This picture from last night shows the best reason for making the trip to grandma’s (or, Ma-Ma’s in this instance): looking through the picture albums, laughing, and making fun of daddies. The digital age has changed picture albums somewhat, but in some ways, things are better than ever. It’s a real thought to me that this “Minutes to Memories” blog serves as a daily journal that I hope (cross your modems) will stick around forever.

We had a great morning at Hillcrest. It was really neat to be back there & to see so many faces we haven’t seen in such a long time. I won’t even begin to name names – there were so many. I spent the combined classtime talking about Hurricane Katrina experiences, and it seemed to be well-received. I then preached on the call of Jesus to the “harrassed and helpless” from the end of Matthew 9.

Afterwards, all of our families met at “Four Seasons” (a new Chinese restaurant) for a buffet lunch, which was really nice, too.

Currently, my mom & I are watching the Cardinals play (surprise!). Two homers from Pujols today!!! Woo hoo!!!

In a little bit, I’m going to 7th & Mueller Church of Christ for their 5pm service, and then at 7pm I will head out to the first night of the Crowley’s Ridge College Lectureship.

A really nice day.

It turned out not to be an adventurous trip home to Paragould today, which was quite a relief. I had planned to make the entire trip today, but when I looked at the weather forecast late yesterday afternoon and noticed the huge storm system scheduled to make its swath across the southeast today, we made a quick change of plans. We packed in a hurry and drove to a hotel just north of Jackson, Mississippi, late last night (actually arriving around 1am this morning). When we awakened around 9am this morning, I turned on the weather and was very glad that we had made that decision – one of the really bad storm cells was headed directly through the area we would have been driving on this morning.

As my old friend, Hal, says, even a blind squirrell gets a nut now and then.

We had a wonderful, wonderful trip up. We stopped near Memphis to see our friends, John, Jinger, and Alicia. It was SO GOOD to see them. We got to see their beautiful home, and then they took us out to eat at Logan’s where we shared a wonderful meal together. They are such a neat family, and we love them more than they could know.

Now I’m sitting here on my mom’s couch after eating supper at Dairy Queen, a Paragould tradition (I had to have me a Jim Dandy sandwich). And now, in another Paragould tradition, we’re watching the Cardinals on television (Scott Rolen just knocked Duncan in to tie the game!!!).

I’m looking forward to speaking at the Hillcrest Church of Christ tomorrow morning. Hillcrest deserves credit or blame (depending on whom you’re talking to…) for me becoming a preacher. The last time I spoke there was Valentine’s Day in 1999, the day before we moved to Ocean Springs, so speaking there again tomorrow will be really neat.

Gotta go. Speizio is at the plate.

It is poor form to disclose the age of a lady, particularly your very own wife, so whatever you do, do not look at the birthday cake above for any hints. Suffice it to say that my wife is older than me, and that’s all you really need to know.

With life set on “hectic” for the next several days, we decided to celebrate Jody’s birthday somewhere in the vicinity of her actual birthday; so we enjoyed chocolate cake, vanilla ice cream, cards, and presents together last evening.

I will say that, of all the days in the history of the world, it’s hard for me to imagine a day more important than the day Jody appeared in the world.

Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!!!

After getting everything squared away for the two days I’ll be out of the office next week, I worked the downtown area for my Ocean Springs photo-project (check out three new entries HERE).

I enjoyed meeting Kim at Chandeleur Outfitters, swapped Katrina stories with the owner of an antique shop, and sat on the porch of Two Dogs Dancing for awhile with its owner, Mickie.

In the middle, I had the pleasure of seeing my friends, Jim and Betty, and Betty posed for a picture with her new “urban art” project in front of their downtown business (pictured above).

After Katrina, a bar opened in downtown Ocean Springs. Followed by another. And another. And some more “anothers,” though I don’t have an official count. Many Ocean Springs citizens (along with many downtown business owners) are disheartened to see this sudden influx into what had normally been a clean, quiet, quaint area.

Recently, several of the bar owners came together to create a Cinco de Mayo Festival for the downtown area (that has since been renamed, May Fest). The downtown area of Ocean Springs hosts several festivals each year, and often the streets are blocked off to turn them into pedestrian stret festivals. Without polling the downtown owners, the city approved “May Fest” for the first Saturday in May.

A lot of downtown business owners aren’t happy about this development at all, but in spite of appealing to city government, the festival continues its preparations.

So today, Betty decided to do her bit to expose the situation. After another day picking up a lot of beer bottles and other trash new to the area since the influx of the bars, she decided to turn it into what she named “Urban Art,” which you see pictured above. I’ll tell you, with the lighting, the glass, the beads, and the landscaping, she sure made it an eyecatcher!

It will be interesting now to see the reactions.

3 months. 1,455 pages. And now I am one of two people I know of (the other being a certain Leo Tolstoy) who has actually read War & Peace.

Some people claim it to be the greatest novel ever written, which is particularly interesting since its author didn’t even claim it was a novel (he said that Anna Karenina, written later, was his first attempt at a novel). When pressed as to what it was, his response was something along the lines of “it is what it is.”

There are lengthy passages in War & Peace that aren’t part of a story at all. In those sections, Tolstoy waxes eloquent on all sorts of his theories on how the world works. In between is a compelling history of the Napoleonic invasion of Russia through the eyes of a LOT of characters, but principally through three families – the Bezukhovs, the Bolkonskys, and the Rostovs. In the 105 page epilogue, the first half brings the story to a close, while the last half is a long essay arguing concepts such as the nature of the field of history, power, and human free will.

It is an interesting and weird book. When you have a few months, you ought to give it a read.

By book’s end, I believe a singular major character emerged in Pierre Bezukhov. And he’s a worthy major character in what some claim to be the greatest novel ever written. Definitely complex, yet likable, and I left him in a positive place.

But he hasn’t left me, and he probably won’t. After 1,455 pages, I’m pretty sure Pierre will be a part of my life from now on.