THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Randy Brooks, who portrayed Jesus in “The Promise” more than 6,000 times, is nearing the 60-year mark in Christian ministry. But, he still has “the look”–the kind that causes head-scratching when vaguely familiar faces are seen. Randy was cast in the role in 1989, when the award-winning musical began its 34-year run at Glen Rose’s Texas
Read more
By NANCY PATRICK I recently rewatched the movie The Book of Eli starring Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman. Filmed in New Mexico in 2009, the movie presents a thoughtful dystopian view of a possible future for the world. This dismal, dangerous, and hopeless society bases its premise on the idea that something catastrophic had happened that destroyed a good world,
Read moreBy DANNY MINTON An old train was crawling slowly through the countryside when it suddenly came to a complete stop. The solitary traveler in the carriage, a salesman, asked the conductor why they had stopped. The conductor said, “Nothing to be concerned about, sir. There’s a cow on the tracks.” About ten minutes later, the train started again, but after
Read more
By JIM NICHOLS Ribbons of concrete stretch from city to city and from coast to coast, but those ribbons are a relatively new addition to the country. Although the exact stimulus for the interstate highway system is unclear, President Dwight Eisenhower is generally credited with using his influence to promote and fund the concept in 1956. Early in the twentieth
Read moreTHE IDLE AMERICAN THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury We’ve heard about how tiny errors can foster various responses, ranging from serious misunderstanding to thigh-slapping laughter. Hitting the keyboard’s “I” instead of the intended “o” caused chuckles recently. Reading an advertisement for funeral home employment, a radio announcer listed requisites for the job. “Must be able to ease the grieving
Read more
By LORETTA FULTON Abilene Christian and McMurry universities enrolled record numbers of students for the fall semester, the sixth record fall enrollment in a row for ACU, while Hardin-Simmons University hasn’t released its fall numbers to the public. A year ago, HSU recorded its third consecutive enrollment decrease, as ACU and McMurry recorded gains in enrollment. In fall 2022, Hardin-Simmons
Read more
The Abilene Interfaith Council kicks off its new year of programming with a meeting set for 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21, in the Furr Welcome Center at McMurry University. All are invited to hear from Abilenians who attended the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago in August. Title of the program is “Interfaith Engagement: Respect, Relationships, and Cooperation.” Seven
Read moreBy DANNY MINTON Frustrated and depressed, Elijah made his way to Mt. Horeb, the mountain where Moses had received the commandments from God almost 600 years before. It hurt him that the people of Israel failed to listen to the message from God and had turned their backs on Him. Now, feeling alone and in a state of depression, Elijah
Read more
Editor’s Note: A stage performance of “The Screwtape Letters” that was scheduled for Sept. 30 at the Abilene Convention Center has been cancelled. Dr. Larry Fink, retired English professor at Hardin-Simmons University, wrote the following commentary for Spirit of Abilene. In it, he asks the question, “So, why do people love this book, and why should you read it? …It’s
Read more
