A Sort of Homecoming

BWC Readers,

First of all, I want to thank everyone who posted comments on last issue’s two controversial articles.

Ultimately, I think the point of the articles from Penny and Brent was to advocate the mere act of thinking about these issues. So quickly, we fall into the lines of the leaders we follow or the books we read, and we rarely take time to look at the world through varying lenses. If I learned anything about the comments that were posted, it was that our readers are interested in diving into difficult issues and processing them without the end goal of being right. When we think about spiritual or political issues, I think it’s important to approach a paradigm with the mindset of “How am I wrong” rather than “I have to find ways to prove I’m right”.

In that spirit, I hope you’ll check out an article we’re posting here by Tyler Thigpen, who experienced the first days of the bombing. His writing seems at odds with Penny’s article last month, but we felt that running it was an important chance to show a viewpoint that may be different, but is not necessarily in opposition.

Last night, Penny was visiting Portland, down from Seattle for the Portland Bridge Pedal, and we had a great evening out in Don’s front yard, discussing the direction of Burnside, and what we’re learning through the process. I know the last two weeks were difficult for Penny, especially listening to some of the harsher criticisms.

The last week was great for me. My brother, who lived in Nepal for the last two years, returned home. It was great to see him again, and it will be great to hear about his experiences. I’ve been trying to get him to write about his two years there (he witnessed a deposed King, for pete’s sake!). Welcome home, Tyler!

After the weightiness of last issue, we’ve decided to bring back some levity with hilarious articles from frequent contributors Chad Gibbs and Aaron Donley, along with an article from Stephen Simpson linking the anticipation of bullies to that of the Apocalypse. Good stuff.

The Oregonian contributor Bob Ham hasn’t forgotten about the little people he left behind…he offers a review of Andrew Beaujon’s Body Piercing Saved My Life. I haven’t read it yet, but by all accounts it’s a great look at the Christian music scene from an outsider’s perspective. Also, I discuss “The Colbert Report”, and Adam Newton and Anne McCarthy throw out their opinions of Regina Spektor’s latest and Aimee Mann’s second latest, respectively.

Check out our Letter To the Editor, too. A friend of ours saw her husband off for a deployment in Iraq, and she wrote us a short passage describing their first days alone. The sacrifice of deployed soldiers goes so far beyond the time they spend away from home…they leave loved ones behind, and they are missed dearly.

Thanks, as always, for reading. Please tell your friends about the site, please consider contributing, and don’t forget to bookmark www.burnsidewriterscollective.com.

Jordan Green
BWC