Through My Christian Prism, or at the Port Rail

Larry Clayton brings a refreshing, Christian perspective to these essays that examine the human condition, sharing his thoughts on everything from the flighty and humorous to the serious and transcendent.

His musings and insights--almost of all of which were published as op-ed columns in the Sunday edition of the Tuscaloosa News in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and national newspapers like the LA Times, Christian Science Monitor, Washington Times, and Miami Herald-seek to make sense of life.

In the tradition of a newspaper op-ed, the essays share profound lessons on everything from religion to history, politics, foreign affairs, education, sports, and other important topics.

While many of the writings revolve around Christian themes and history, Clayton is not afraid to tackle problems that almost everyone has faced, such as the daunting, and humorous, experience of getting through an airport checkpoint these days.

He laces his stories with wit and wisdom derived from his faith and his experiences as a teacher, writer, and even as chairman of the Department of History at the University of Alabama. He references the "port rail" that--when not on duty--he used to hold on to and dream and think a bit while serving on a ship in the Navy making its way through the waters and waves of the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Mediterranean ocean and seas.