Leftist Christian

My first job at the school was in its Physical Plant department. My first job overall was as a paperboy. I’ve nearly always held some sort of job—at most fast food restaurants you can name, with a disreputable operation to collect money for veterans, at a bucket factory, and in securing appointments for cemetery plot sales. I felt like something of a sucker as I observed some of the more well-off students who had never held a job. The student population was largely divided between children of the wealthy and those less well provided for. It was tuition-free but as such relied heavily on donations. Anyway, my deeply-established work ethic came to appear as more of a sham. I was told that you work hard to prepare yourself for adulthood and foster independence. For others, though, they focused on their academic lives until they graduated, perhaps took a brief detour, then entered the workforce in the capacity for which their education had prepared them. Through our way, we lost a...

Have I ever talked about this on here? Probably. It may sound bad, but to some degree, I just don't care enough about this issue to get all worked up about it. To both the right and the left--Roe v. Wade will not be overturned. It has been found to be constitutional, and the majority of people are in favor of leaving it as a woman's prerogative. I've always been pretty solidly Democratic in my political affiliation, though I've wrestled with describing myself as either "pro-life" or "pro-choice." I can remember in high school getting in arguments with people on this issue and that other hot button social issue. One friend had a button with the image of a hanger and a line through it. I said, "No more wire hangers." He wasn't amused. I remember at Bible college talking to a winger in an elevator about the death penalty. I told him I was against it because I was pro-life. He wasn't having it. Here's the best one, thou...

With no license and a limited appreciation for public transportation, I would walk as far south as the public library and as far north as my favorite record stores. Neighborhoods would change from block to block, according to ethnicity, economy or lifestyle. I walked over musty smelling sewer grates and under makeshift scaffolds. I walked across the bridge and ventured down along the riverside. Older students and faculty held that one should not merely hand money over to the homeless, as doing so would enable habits of alcoholism or drug addiction. I recall one gentleman with a reddened face and broad smile who held a cardboard sign that read, “Money for beer.” Refreshingly honest. For a long while, I gave a little money to whoever asked. Sometimes a story would accompany the request, like he or she ran out of the money needed for a return bus trip home. I can’t recall whether I believed it or not. Anyhow, it was said that a better practice would be to take the individual for ...

My initial choice to attend bible college was with mostly pure intentions – I wanted to study theology, to study music, and yes, to live in the city. A number of people whom I respected also attended the college, older individuals, peers. From my own home church, about five different individuals would be attending the school at the same time. Oddly, they all dropped out for various reasons along the way (grades, funds, marriage), so that by the time I graduated, I was the only one left. In fact, at my graduation, there was only one individual whom I knew very well. I think he had in effect renounced his faith about two years earlier, so perhaps he was merely finishing out of an obligation. I nearly took a different route. My application was initially denied because of my poor grade point average. I was set, then, to attend an art college with an open admissions policy. My mother pushed it, though, so that the school would allow me to complete some summer school courses to prove...