Opinion

By Mike Ruffin

You are reading these words during the week that Christians call “Holy.” Friday is Good Friday, the day we remember Jesus’ death on the cross. Sunday is Easter Sunday, the day we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.

The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ are the foundations on which the Christian faith stands. Preachers have spoken and scholars have written innumerable words on the meaning of Jesus’ death and resurrection. I hesitate to speak for Christians, given the wide range of theological assumptions and opinions that exist among us, but I think I can safely say that we believe that Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection make all the difference.
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By Mike Ruffin

The Women’s Clubhouse in Barnesville is undergoing renovation. This is a good thing. But hearing about it brought up a bad memory for me.

It was the early 1970s. I had been taking piano lessons for a couple of years. Ted Lashley was my teacher. He was a fine pianist and an excellent teacher, even though he was young—he wasn’t out of high school yet. Ted was also a magician. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to work any magic on my piano-playing, mainly because of my practice technique, which can best be described as “not doing it.”
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One year ago this week, coronavirus hit home here when we learned two Gordon students had been exposed while working at an off-campus location.

On March 12, 2020, Georgia experienced its first coronavirus death and the University System of Georgia shut down all campuses for two weeks. They have still not returned to full operation, frustrating parents and students who have missed out on so much, not the least of which are live sports, concerts and in-person instruction.

On March 17, 2020, Lamar’s first case was confirmed and the cancellations began in earnest. Life as we knew it was upended. By the end of that month, was easier to list things that were open and continuing than list all those which were shut down. [Full Story »]