My wife and I are spending a long weekend in New York City this weekend. I wouldn’t want to live here, but I sure love visiting Manhattan. It is beautiful, exciting, unique and ecclectic everywhere you turn.

Our hotel happened to be immediately across from the World Trade Center site (top photo, from our hotel room on the 46th floor), where construction is taking place around the clock to build the new Freedom Tower and the 9/11 memorial. You can see the foundation of the Freedom Tower beginning to rise on the right in the photo, and some of the surviving WTC buildings are in the backrgound. One of the footprints of the Twin Towers is discernible on the left side of the photo. Both footprints will be preserved as reflecting pools that will be part of the memorial.

Though I’ve visited the WTC site twice before, it was a little peculiar at first to be staying right next to the location of such a horrible tragedy. As the hours have passed since we arrived Thursday evening, though, seeing everyone else nearby going about their business and their daily lives has made the scene feel more ordinary.

I also had the chance to walk over to the Brooklyn Bridge, which is a few blocks from our hotel. Having walked across the Golden Gate Bridge before, I’m not sure I’ve ever given this famed Manhattan landmark more than a passing glance when spotting it from a distance. That was a mistake. I walked out to the first tower on the bridge (bottom photo) yesterday, and it was breaktaking. Seeing the beauty of the bridge itself and then taking in the view of the rest of Manhattan was stunning. It was a perfect sunny day, and there were pedestrians and cyclists everywhere. I felt like I was a small part of a huge mass of life crisscrossing all at once, and I am thrilled to have had the experience. It’s another good reminder that there is just nothing in the world quite like New York City.

Authors Sam Davidson (above) and Stephen Moseley signed their book New Day Revolution last night at Davis-Kidd in Green Hills. Despite the turbulent weather, a good crowd (including Gavin) turned out to hear Sam share a few selections from the book. I can attest, after picking up a copy, that the first few pages are a good read, and I’m looking forward to the rest.

Sam and Dixon ’s idea is catching on, judging from this morning’s Tennessean.

Instead of giving up soda, chocolate or swearing for Lent, some Midstate Christians are planning to volunteer at senior centers, spend five-minutes-a-day on social activism or pledge to crush their used Starbucks coffee cups to be more ecologically conscious…

The Rev. Thomas Hotchkiss of Church of Advent Episcopal is encouraging congregation members to combine the act of personal penance with charity work. “Giving up chocolate is something beneficial to oneself, which may OK, but taking all the money that everyone spends on candy bars and sending it to relief of children in Northern Uganda has an impact,” he said. “That’s what we’re trying to get people to think on.”

Someone who woke up very early on the wrong side of the bed disagrees:

Let me get this str8 (pun intended)… For 40 days, which ends at Easter, these people are no longer burdened with denying themselves chocolate (or other self indulgences), lying, swearing, buying soda, leaving a tip, recycling or anything else which would make them a ‘better’ christian? So on Easter Sunday, praise the lord, they can now curse, lie, eat diet cokes, leave no tips etc? No wonder this is their biggest holiday!

Frankly, I doubt Jesus is impressed. If I were Lord and Savior, I sure wouldn’t be.

What a wretched religion. What a trite concept and practice…giving up something for 40 days which one shouldn’t be doing anyway. If y’all were serious about this, I propose something different…instead of 40 days, the following should give up or practice the following forever:

-Catholic Priests should give up molesting children forever, and confess to law enforcement about the ones they did abuse. Catholic Bishops shouldn’t cover things up.

-Baptists should go to a gay bar and embrace every gay guy there, not as an abomination, but as another one of God’s creations.

Eh, nevermind, these things ain’t gonna happen. In Jesus name we burp, and hold off on self-indulgence, swearing, lying and not-tipping until Easter morning, amen.

I can’t argue with the sentiment, only the presentation. Regardless, Jesus is quoted in the Bible as saying “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” I have no issue with the traditional practice of Lent, observed sincerely, but I think this alternative take on 40 days better matches the God’s hope for us.