Well, the Soulforce train has come and gone and I really think this was a great thing for ACU to go through. The group got here on Sunday night and they were greeted by faculty and staff with a hot meal. This was a first for the group. In their six previous stops they hadn't been offered a single meal. They also were very impressed with the fact that they were given name tags. They said that no one had asked their names yet. They said that this was the first time they felt like people actually cared about getting to know them as humans. My biggest fear about this for me was the buba syndrome. I was worried that some "good ole boys" would get in their trucks and hold up God Hates Fags signs and throw tomatoes or something. Luckily, none of this happened. For the most part ACU was extremely welcoming and hospitable. Some of the riders were sick and were treated by the ACU doctor. An atheist lady on the ride said that she was going to rethink her opinion of Christianity based on her experience here. She told someone that she hadn't ever met a Christian who didn't hate her until now. That is very sad. I think the best thing about this experience is that it got people to think. I don't think a single faculty, staff, or student has gone through the last couple of days without really considering what they believe about this issue, what it means to be a Christian in a secular world, the importance of love and hospitality, and I'm sure many other questions. Here is a picture of the police barricade blocking the Soulforce riders out of Oral Roberts University. I just don't see how this image depicts anything Christian, even with the praying hands in the background.