That's basketball!

The 'Heels were overwhelmed by Auburn last night. Auburn scored 17 3-pointers - the most 3-pointers ever scored against the 'Heels in Roy Williams' 16 years as coach. Two 'Heels players had the flu but were playing anyway. The final score was Auburn 97, UNC 80. It was sad to see, but that's what can happen. In another game last night, Duke got lucky for the third time - Virginia Tech could have put the game into overtime in the last second but missed an easy layup, so Duke advances to the Elite Eight with a 2-point win - their 3rd close call in a month -  and the 'Heels go home. The basketball gods are cryptic!

Meanwhile, Ellen feels better today, which is what is really important. We'll be singing at a funeral at Guilford this afternoon. No game to watch tomorrow!

I've been working on the program for A Moment for Peace which is a First Friday event in Brattleboro, April 5th. I'll be teaching a group of songs from an Asian hymnal, Sound the Bamboo. One of the songs is a Taiwanese hymn titled Watch the Bush of Thorns, by Chun-ming Kao. Here is what i have to say about Kao:

Chun-ming Kao was born in Tainan, Taiwan, June 6, 1929, and graduated from Tainan Theological College and Seminary. He was a dissident under the Nationalist Kuomintang government in Taiwan, urging the government to respect human rights, hold national elections, abolish martial law and declare Taiwan an independent country. He suffered a long period of political and religious persecution including imprisonment from 1979-84. His Christ-like demeanor throughout his suffering earned him immense respect, and the text of this hymn, which draws on the image of God making herself known in the "burning bush," reflects his "theology of suffering."

 We don't have hymns like this in our hymnals:

Taiwanese hymn

 

Chun-ming Kao and his wife, Le-tin Li