I don’t get to use these words often, so I’ll do it while I have the chance … 
the hallways of the Georgia World Congress Center’s three interconnected buildings are not so labyrinthine as they are long, and the place is organized so that you not only have to go around your elbow to get to your thumb, but around your shoulder, too.
I had a heavy box of books to deliver to my car today, and could see the parking lot within 100 yards of my position near the press room of the WCC – but I had to walk more than half a mile and traverse six flights of steps to get there. The return journey was just as long, but at least my load was lighter.
And, for much of the walk, I enjoyed a delightful fashion show. The four largest national African American Baptist groups are meeting just prior to the New Baptist Covenant celebration: about 7,000 delegates are present for that meeting, I’ve been told, and it’s a treat to be around them.
While Anglo Baptists have turned “business casual” into an art form and tattered jeans into haute couture, our National Baptist brothers and sisters hew to a higher standard, demonstrating sartorial splendor the likes of which you’ll rarely see among white folks.
The exhibit hall is home to more clothing stalls than I’ve seen since visiting the night market in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Hats, for one thing, are much more popular, especially among the women. For the men, fedoras and berets are abundant, but the more popular new trend is wearing a baseball cap with a tailored full-dress suit.
Snazzy.
Professor of Old Testament at Campbell University Divinity School in Buies Creek, North Carolina, and the Contributing Editor and Curriculum Writer at Good Faith Media.
