StoryWorks

I heard about this piece on NPR's Weekend Edition this morning. The photographs are stunning.

Also worth a look, the story about Frank Gehry's influence.

Last weekend I went to my neighborhood Best Buy to purchase a new digital camera for use on some upcoming trips. I spent more than I wanted to, but all the consumer guides pointed me to this purchase. I rationalized it as we do with many big purchases.

Well I used the camera -- which I loved -- for an entire week before I lost it. Or before it was stolen. (I'm not sure which.)

I spent several hours yesterday searching my car, my apartment and retracing my steps all over DC where I remember taking photos. But nothing.

I think it's likely that the camera either fell out of my bag or was pickpocketed out of my bag or I misplaced it.

But it's gone and I'm just sick over it. (I'm just not the type to lose things.)

This morning I thought about the parable of the Lost Coin and how Jesus told that story to explain the Kingdom of Heaven. As I was searching on the Net for commentary about the parable, I came across the video.

I think this pastor hit a very important point when he asked his congregation, "Do the people who come here matter? More than those who aren't here yet?"

Years ago when I was a teenager, each Sunday night, our youth director asked us to name out who was missing from our youth group meetings. I loved that because it prompted us to think of folks who maybe we needed to do a better job of including. It also was an instant community builder. If you knew why the people missing were missing, you were more likely to pray for them and reach out to them afterwards to see if you could help.

I wish more churches understood how important this is. In a busy, over-scheduled society, churches offer us grounding and people who hold us accountable.

But first, the nine people who are there every Sunday need to check in on the one who's not.

As for the lost camera, whoever finds it will have to charge the battery in the camera to see the photos I took. (Interestingly, they were mostly picture of people from my church.)

Maybe that will prompt the camera to be dropped off at the church's office.

This speech will go down as one of the finest Sen. Byrd ever gave. Had we only listened.

Perhaps you read that a statue of Jesus was struck by lightning and burned to the ground in Ohio on Friday. Of course some of God's more humorous children are saying the lightning strike was a sign from God.

Well, since lightning also struck the more famous Jesus statue in Brazil a few years ago, then OBVIOUSLY, Jesus loves Brazil and hates Ohio.

Right?

Apparently, there's a Republican running for governor of Alabama named Tim James. The GOP primary was today and it looks like there will be a run off between the top 2 candidates.

The ad above is not one Tim James ran -- it's actually a parody of a real ad James ran.

I hope James makes it into the run off, if for no other reason than to give this guy more material to mock.

What does it say that I've been here half a dozen times for work and I've never been to most of these places?

I'm generally not a fan of politicians speaking at commencement exercises because typically, they use the occasion to promote their political point of view. If you're a graduate who happens to support that point of view, I suppose that's okay, but I tend to prefer commencement addresses which focus on the graduates and their accomplishments. I also like speeches which give advice to graduates as they "commence" with next chapter of their lives.

Every once in a while, our president will rise to the occasion and deliver an address which avoids going down the policy path. George W. Bush did that, Bill Clinton did that and so did, George H.W. Bush -- but generally that's not always that case.

Fortunately, for the graduates of the University of Michigan, President Obama gave an address which focuses on the level of civil discourse in our country and why it's up to all of us to protect our democracy by speaking with one another in a civil manner.

I think his remarks are worth a listen -- and incidentally, I think the same speech could have been delivered by any of our previous presidents. The speech isn't particularly partisan, but it is definitely timely.

This Thursday is Election Day in Britain. I haven't followed it as closely as perhaps I should, but if I had to guess, I'd wager Nick Clegg, the leader of the Liberal Democrats will end up being in the driver's seat. From what I've read so far, the incumbent Prime Minister, Labour's Gordon Brown, is on the ropes and will be hard pressed to keep his party's majority and he very well may end up entering a coalition government with Clegg. (He certainly won't partner with David Cameron and the Conservatives.)

This story in today's Guardian newspaper is written by an American journalist and worth a look. It was written after the third and final American-style televised debates between the candidates -- a first for Britain.

I'm watching a rebroadcast of the third debate on C-Span now and I've have to say, Brown came off as defensive and angry; Cameron as confident, but negative; and Clegg as positive and hopeful.

If that's been the tone of the whole campaign, Clegg may very well win the whole thing. People always vote for the hopeful, positive message.

We'll see.

Today my friend Steve called. He's a youth minister in North Carolina and he makes our conservative friends uncomfortable because he's an evangelical Christian and a liberal Democrat.

He's one of my all time favorite people.

But I digress. Today Steve introduced me to John Fugelsang. I am now a Fugelsang fan.

You should be, too.