Monday, June 26, 2006

N'ahlns

During the summer of 1993 I taught math at Summerbridge New Orleans.

Lately, of course, that particular Summerbridge has been inoperative. I'm no longer in touch with the program's staff or any of my fellow teachers of that summer. But I still correspond with some of my past students.

For a touching set of photographs about how parts of New Orleans were still suffering in late May 2006, follow this link and search the page for "New Orleans, nine months later" to jump to the start of the article.

(The title of this post is an in-joke, for those who have lived in or near New Orleans. The locals pronounce the name of their city as a single one-syllable word.)

My former student is doing well, and today sent me this list of non-excuses that show God can use anyone. I'd add a complimentary image and lesson: in the 4th chapter of Ezekiel the prophet is asked to lie on his side for more than a year, playing army men with a brick. (I'm politely omitting the even more unpleasant details.) Not only can God use anyone, but he might ask us to do really strange things. Considering that helps me understand the phrase "fear of God".