Mark's Web Site: A quiet place with just a bit of pretension.

I'm getting ready to leave on an around the world trip this week. I'll be stopping in Melbourne, Australia and New Delhi, India. To say that recent events have affected me emotionally is to understate the truth. It's a fascinating phenomenon, this terrorism bit. I wonder if there really ever was a plan to blow up airplanes. All they had to do was send a few emails and make sure a conversation was overheard, and we go into a headspin. Now, this must not be mistaken for criticism of any agency entrusted with the public's safety. We entrust them to protect every life, and they are performing admirably. But I still get a little nervous about this trip.

I hope to see some new things while I'm gone. I've been to Australia, but never Melbourne. I've been to Delhi, but this is a newly developed part of the city. I'll meet new folks and some old friends. And I'll work quite a bit - four courses in three weeks. Lots to prepare for. And we're using the new VMWare to deliver the courses. It'll be good and the students will be left with a working sample system to play with.

I guess I'm getting jaded in this work. My excitement level, even though it is tempered by global politics, is not what it would have been four years ago. Now, I'd rather have those three weeks to do some reading and prepare for the next semester. I should use the opportunity to investigate ministry possibilities. I could use it to talk to people about what role faith plays in their lives. I could make this as much a ministerial journey as a business trip. What do people hope for? How do folks feel about those who are different from them? Where does peace lie in the hearts of everyday working folks?