I spent last week at the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta. I gave “play by play” updates from the huge event on Out of Ur. With 12,000 people in attendance, school buses and elephants entering the arena, and other bazaar antics the event was definitely something different for me.One thing I didn’t blog about, however, was the pervasive presence of compassion and social justice issues at the conference. These issues weren’t the focus of most of the speakers, but they had a very prominent role at Catalyst. Compassion International as well as an indy film about human sex trafficking were given significant time from the platform. (The applause for the film, btw, was among the loudest I heard while at the conference.) And surrounding the arena…

You’ve gotta love hybrids. They incarnate the fashionable trend of combining two seemingly unrelated objects/ideas/categories into one harmoneous, and functional, whole. We have hybrid cars, hybrid produce, and hybrid phones. Why not hybrid bookshelves?

The Italian designers at Nobody & Co. have combined a chair with a bookshelf to develop the Bibliochaise. Although not the only bookshelf/chair hybrid, this is definately one of my favorites. Removable cushions are available in many colors, and the chair itself can be finished in oak, black, or white. The designers claim the chair can hold 5 meters of books. A matching ottoman is also available…you know, for paperbacks. (Iwould love to see an entire sofa version.) I imagine if Plato had envisioned a throne for his philosopher king, it would have looked something…

Time magazine has a really interesting article about religion on YouTube. No one should be surprised to learn that Christians, Jews, Muslims, and every other brand of religion is flooding YouTube to educate the ignoranent masses about their doctrines. Time includes many examples of videos to watch. I particularly recommend the Christian version of Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back” called “Baby Got Book.” (Somebody get me a bucket.)I’m working on an article right now for Christianity Today, and the subject of YouTube preaching is directly related. I’m trying to discuss the impact of mass communication technology on preaching, and what the relationship is between a sermon and the community from which it arises and to which it is addressed. Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill famously said, “All politics…

When my father first came from India to the United States in 1970, he began his new life by sailing from Europe to New York aboard the SS France. In a strange twist, the legendary liner is now ending her life on a beach in India where shipbreakers are dismantling her hull. I only saw the ship in person once as a kid while on vacation (she was anchored a distance off shore), but I remember vintage photos of my father onboard during his crossing wearing thick black framed glasses, his hair caught in the sea breeze. (Photos of my father with hair are rare, so I tend to remember them.)

Many ship enthusiasts fought hard to preserve the vessel as a hotel or museum. It may seem…

Our regular columnist over at Out of Ur, Collin Hansen, has a really interesting examination of the presidential debate between McCain and Obama. Beyond the obvious difference between left and right, liberal and conservative, young and old–Hansen sees a distinct difference in worldview between Modernity (McCain) and Postmodernity (Obama). I definitely think he’s got a point, but I’m not convinced it’s simply a matter of Mo verses Pomo.

I still have yet to read a thoughtful article about how Obama’s diverse, multi-ethnic background has influenced his view of the world as well as his ability to engage people of differing views. For example, is his willingness to engage in diplomacy with America’s “enemies” a result of his liberal politics, his disdain for Bush’s foreign policy, or the outworking of…

I’m a big fan of shelves. What’s not to like? They’re immensely practical. Beyond holding items of importance off the floor and tables, they’re great parenting tools. Putting a misbehaving child’s toy on an out-of-reach shelf is a basic disciplinary tactic. The child can see the toy but cannot reach it…clear incentive to improve his or her behavior.

Can you imagine a house without shelves? What would we do with all of our stuff? It would be chaos, pandemonium, anarchy! We’d never find anything, and the dog would have unfettered access to un-canine materials. Beyond such tangible matters, we’d lose all kinds of great idioms like, “You’ve got to put the cookies on a lower shelf.” And, “It’s ready off the shelf.”

I could go on indefinitely about the…