Category: 2012 Column

Every now and then, I have the privilege of meeting someone who reads this column. That happened recently while I was waiting at Southern Tire. A man sat next to me and said, “I appreciate your columns in the Times-News.” I thanked him, asked his name, and we chatted for the next 15 minutes or … Continue reading Live peaceably with all, if you can

I grew up in tobacco country. In fact, that noxious weed put me through college. My father and mother worked long years and retired from R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. My grandmother was a receptionist for more than 30 years at Whitaker Park, where cigarettes are manufactured and thousands of visitors come every year to see … Continue reading The things we do for love

  We drove down the dirt road for 10 minutes and stopped at the edge of the trees. Climbing out of the Land Cruiser, the 12 of us peered into the darkness, wondering how far into the woods we would go. A few of us had flashlights, and they swung with every stride, their nervous … Continue reading Jesus loves the Samburu of Kenya

In response to letters some of my writing students sent to the newspaper, a woman wrote, “Rev. Fox usually stays away from politics and writes about religion.” There are at least three things wrong with that statement. The first bone I have to pick is with the title “Rev. Fox.” I never use that title … Continue reading By Christianity, we see everything else

When I was 13 years old and weighed about 95 pounds, I joined my junior high school football team. At one of the first practices where contact was involved, we got introduced to what the coach called “the meat grinder.” The name fit. Two boys lined up facing each other, 10 yards apart. On either … Continue reading We are not called to the bench

My favorite place at the Myrtle Beach marathon was the pre-race expo, and especially the bumper stickers that were for sale. One said, “If you find me on the road, please drag me across the finish line.” Or, “If you can read this, I’m not in last place!” Or, “This IS my race pace.” The … Continue reading Do you know who you are?