“Under the Influence”

This was just a random thought I had today. Leadership has been described as “influence” in some of my classes, so now when I hear the phrase “under the influence” I don’t think of an alcoholic – my mind takes me to another place – I start thinking about people who are under the influence of a leader – basically followers. This is just one of the many ways that these classes are redefining how I look at the world. Or maybe I should say this is just one way these classes are messin’ with my mind.

Under the Overpass

06-09-06Miranda and I read this book – well, Miranda read it out loud as I drove to Ft. Worth this past weekend. It was a great way to pass the time and was a really good story.

Mike Yankoski was regular middle-class college student. He was sitting in church one day and the sermon made him start questioning whether his faith was real or not. He wondered if he’d still have such a “strong faith” if he didn’t have his Christian bubble of friends, a roof over his head, christian music, or anything else. He decided to live on the streets as a homeless man for five months to test his own faith. This book tells the story of he and Sam (Mike’s friend) as they live in 6 different cities in the United States over 5 months time. How do they get food? Where would they sleep? Would it be more difficult to believe in God with everything stripped away? Would they believe at all? It’s all in there! Good stuff! Check it out yourself.

By the way – I just wrote a blog recently about “comfort.” This book has added fuel to my fire on that subject! Here’s the link for that blog. http://www.stevecorn.com/2006/08/comfort/