/Chase Lisbon

It's Judgment Day every day here in Arkansas. Parents pull their kids close to them as I walk by and clerks outwardly scorn us. Yesterday a woman half-jokingly threatened to spank me if I was living with my girlfriend in sin. I know we look different. I know we have different accents, but really... I'm not a 14 year old kid spray painting anarchy signs on the side of your gas station. I'm a 34 year old man looking to get a carton of soy milk. It seems almost everyone in this area is either high on God, Meth, or a combination of the two.

There are more churches in this area than any one area I have ever seen. They are in such heavy competition with each other that the marquees have ascended into absurdity. In an attempt to win the battle for the attention of today's youth, one sign proclaimed "God sends the text message and Jesus paid the bill". Another sign seemed to be a message from great God himself. Short and to the point, it read "Where have ya been? - God" As if God were leaving you this little note here on this one tiny Baptist church in the Bible Belt.