After spending the last few days in Austin, TX, I’m pretty stoked about Q laying down Texas roots (at least for a few days), April 27-29, 2009. After our first two years were hosted in Atlanta and Manhattan, we now head west to Austin. Austin represents a smaller city (very much like most of America) that is in the business of culture creation. It boasts a beautiful mix of tex-mex culture with brisquet, barbeque and music for everyone.

I hope you can join us for another great Q gathering next Spring, the rates are the lowest they will be for the next two months. http://www.fermiproject.com/Q

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When it comes to politics, Christians often feel frustrated. How can we make a impact against the immovable mountains of injustice, poverty, war, and the degradation of human life? Jim Wallis believes that the answer comes from a new, yet historical perspective on the nature of movements.

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I guess the theme of the last few posts is humbly listening and learning from others who have something to say about life, truth and the heart, regardless of whether we share the same beliefs. With Alanis Morisette (Grammy winning singer/songwriter), I don’t know what type of “spirituality” she practices, but her deep understanding of the need for self-awareness and righting one’s own soul before trying to turn others is a great reminder of how a Christian ought to think….don’t you think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCl3Ut5GHVw&feature=user

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Christopher Silber, award winning screenwriter shares his perspective on story and what makes a great film in my recent interview with him for the Fermi podcast. Christopher recently moved with is family from Germany to Brooklyn, NY and he continues to work on major television shows in Germany while writing and advising on film scripts in the U.S. Any writer or artists will appreciate his rich experience and perspective

Listen here

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Will Hinton just posted a podcast with our good friend and the Director of Word Made Flesh, Chris Heuertz. Chris’ describes his time with Mother Theresa and how much it has informed his views on the Christian’s role in bringing dignity to the poor. Its pretty compelling, listen here.

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There is something in each of us that longs to change the world. But what if we’re missing something? What if we’ve gotten it wrong when it comes to how the world is changed? Consider some thoughts that are guaranteed to challenge your assumptions.

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J.K. Rowling’s commencement address to the graduates of Harvard gives a rare glimpse into her ideas about life and imagination. Its worth the watch. Her thoughts on imagination and its subsequent link to justice are profound.

“Imagination is not only the uniquely human capacity to envision that which is not, and therefore the fount of all invention and innovation. In its arguably most transformative and revelatory capacity, it is the power that enables us to empathize with humans whose experiences we have never shared.”
J.K. Rowling

View the entire commencement address here

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I spent time with Brian this past month discussing his latest book project, Finding Our Way Again. He had several good insights that we featured on our latest Fermi Podcast about how Christians can recover the ancient disciplines of Christianity and the great western faiths. Listen Now.

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Atlanta’s smog season started May 1, and runs through September 30. That means weather conditions are more likely to create unhealthy air out of the pollution that comes from vehicle tailpipes and power plant smokestacks. Smog requires pollution, heat, and sunlight to form. That’s a recipe for asthma attacks and asthma development in children, the elderly, and people with chronic heart and lung diseases.

It’s worth it to be smart about being outdoors in smog season. My friend Rebecca Watts Hull runs a great program called Mothers and Others for Clean Air www.mothersandothersforcleanair.org. She and her organization are reaching out to families, child care providers, summer camps, schools and churches to help them learn about the proper precautions to take to protect children against pollution.

Children have are especially sensitive to air pollution, because their little lungs are still developing, and they breathe much more air per body weight than adults, and they also spend more time outside (which is usually a good thing). But you should pay attention to Smog Alert days, especially Orange or Red ones, and adjust your behavior (like limiting outdoor time at certain times of day).

Our church’s 8-week summer day camp in inner-city Atlanta is moving outdoor recreation time from the afternoons (which are more likely to have toxic air) to mornings (before smog has a chance to form). Even then, on some days all activity will have to be indoors.

The way we build our city (requiring Atlantans to collectively drive the distance to the sun and halfway back every day) and power our homes and businesses (with antiquated, dirty coal-fired generating plants) has side effects on our most vulnerable and precious family members. Taking personal, protective action is one thing. But, what can we do as Christians to create a culture whose economy respects life and safeguards health?

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Generational change is taking place faster than ever before. From baby-boomers to Gen X to millennials—the changes are staggering. How can we understand these shifts and make it a priority to engage the next generation in meaningful and authentic ways? If there’s any organization that truly understands how to connect with youth culture, it’s MTV. What can we learn from MTV as they have adapted and innovated their methods and message for almost three decades?

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