While they didn’t exactly walk by him, the people protesting "The Last Temptation of Christ" at the old Westown Theater were oblivious to the man standing 50 yards away on Kingston Pike.
But one fellow, who was on his way to buy a birthday present, noticed him. As a Christian, he was struck both by the crowd and the sign carried by the man: It was a variation of the many "Will work for food" signs he had seen in the past.
At an intersection, the man turned in the opposite direction and drove on to complete his errand. He couldn’t get his mind off of the hungry man while in the store. It made him uncomfortable.
Upon leaving, the fellow thought, "I could go home the back way and avoid the man" -- but he couldn’t. Something kept pulling him back to the man, and the crowd.
He drove to the mall parking lot, past the protesters and past the point adjacent to the hungry man.
Buzz is a married father of two, managing editor for print/online at The (Maryville, TN) Daily Times and pastors Green Meadow United Methodist Church in Alcoa, TN. He is a 1981 graduate of East Tennessee State University, where he is a member of the Mass Communications Department Hall of Fame.
Inside you will find a collection of columns penned by Buzz on topics ranging from the death of Rich Mullins, to his battle with Hepatitis C, to asking the question, "Does God have a sense of humor."
Buzz talks with those who, as the late Larry Norman would say, "rock the flock." His interviews range from members of Audio Adrenaline, Newsboys, Jars of Clay and Third Day, to David Crowder and more.
Follow Buzz as he travels with Vine International on two different medical misison trips to Guatemala, as well as one with Volunteer Medical Mission. In 1999, he also went to Estonia with a Volunteers in Mission team.
Blog: Gathering Wool
Blog: The Pastor's Buzz