To many, the soccer ball may seem like just a banal thing to chase and kick around. For others it is a symbol of hope, a dream, or a way of escape through play. For Tim Jahnigen it is a life-long project to improve upon and make indestructible for children in Third World countries who find refuge in playing ball.
After watching a documentary in 2006 about children in Darfur who escaped trying conditions by playing soccer with balls made of trash and string, Jahnigen was inspired to make something more withstanding.
He learned that the many balls donated by relief agencies can’t stand up to the rough terrain used for make-shift soccer fields. After a day or so the balls are ripped and deflated. Even though the children would fix up anything to resemble and function as a soccer ball, Jahnigen looked towards making a ball that would hold its shape and not wear down, even after kicked, beaten, or chewed by dogs for a whole year.
The ball, now called One World Futball, is made of PopFoam (a type of hard foam similar to what Crocs are made of) and is now in it’s fifth production run, being much more round this time around and can last for an estimated 30 years. So far Jahnigen has produced about 50,000 balls and has found the feet of children in more than 140 countries.
In June, my pastoral residency came to an end. For the past two years, my pastoral license found its validity in the denomination of that church. But upon leaving, my license expired. Certainly there are worst things in life, but my issue was that I had already committed to two weddings! I began to panic when the legal dots connected.
But then the rescue I needed came forth: the Internet. The World Wide Web fixes all fixable situations when a problem presents. All one has to do is simply “Google it” and everything typically works out fine. What’s the name of that actor from “One Tree Hill?” How do you clean a pan when boiled grease is stuck to its surface?” Who sang that song from the late nineties that won’t pop out of my head? You know… that one tune: “I’m a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world.”For all these answers and more: Google.
So I Googled to my hearts content. Get ordained for free! Ordinations for all 50 states. Perform weddings. These headlines kept me disappointed until I found what might be the only somewhat professional looking evangelical organization* that ordains. Something within me refused to get certified by either: a) an organization that had “American” in the title, b) an organization that conflicted with core Christian values.
When my online transaction finished processing, I began to wait eagerly for my ordination pack to show up in my P.O. Box. And let me tell you, what a glorious pack it was! Not only did I get a full-size certificate of ordination and a pocket version, but the organization also sent a “letter of good standing!” I’m officially in good standing with a group of people whom I never met. I’m the real deal. For the first time in my life, I can say that I’m an ordained minister of the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ — to Him be the glory! And, for the low, low, cost of $47, you can be too.
But this begs a question. Why is it that an Internet organization can ordain me for ministry? Do they know me? No. Did they lay hands on me to commission and inaugurate my commitment to life-long ministry? No. Are they a community of faith that I can look to for deep support? No. They are an extension of the World Wide Web. They are not my community.
Having involved myself with blogging for a few years now, I’ve wrestled with what I believe about a theology of community.Can true community happen online? Well, before we can answer that question, another question matters: What are some characteristics of Christian community?
The New Testament gives us a beautiful and messy picture of authentic community. The early church committed herself to the breaking of bread, prayer, fellowship, and the Apostles’ teaching. In such an environment, the many “one another” passages of the Scriptures were carried out. The community of faith was a place to be known and to know others. It was a value of participating in a common story and together discerning what that meant for their lives. As they did so, it became evident that each person had something to contribute to the well-being of the local church and to the culture around it.
As they chose – to love each other, to love those in the margins, to pray and see the sick healed – the world took notice. As they reflected the reign of God together, true community happened. If I were to summarize my theology of community, it would be:Authentic relationships guided by love can change the world.
Many characteristics of Christian community can indeed be aided online. We certainly can get to know people through the Web. Many readers and fellow bloggers are indeed part of my formation and community experience in a deep way. My friend Dan Martin recently wrote about this in a piece called “The Church Virtual,” which demonstrates this reality. However, I fear with the emergence of Internet church campuses, blogging, podcasts, and the vast resources for Christian experiences accessible from any desk in the world; that if we are not careful, Christian community will fade like a fad.
A primary metaphor for Christian community in the New Testament is “the body of Christ.” Related to this stands the reality of Christ’s incarnation. As John says: “…the Word took on flesh.” Whether we want to admit it or not, it’s impossible to be “incarnational” through a disembodied communication medium. This is not to say that what happens online can’t make a positive impact in people’s enfleshed situations (if so, I blog in vain!), but that nothing replaces the flesh and blood experience of the body of Christ.
Someday I hope to have a community that will “ordain” me as their pastor (and hopefully it won’t cost $47!). But what matters more, is that I want to experience flesh and blood community right now. As I write and interact on the Web, I continue to find that many stories and ideas found online contribute to conversations I have with my local community. The greatest joy I could have is knowing that what I write is stimulating thoughts and inspiring reflection on how your community will continue to join God’s mission in your local city and world. The Web serves as a wonderful supplement for community, but if it replaces enfleshed relationships, we may need to reevaluate our Kingdom priorities.
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*I’m grateful that online ordination exists for situations like I found myself in. The folks at Christian Discipleship Ministries were kind when I had questions to ask them on the phone. They said, “God ordains, we just provide legal paperwork.” If you find yourself in need of a way to be able to marry folks, but are not currently a pastor, I highly recommend them to you.
While parts of the world are in great need, other parts of the world pursue things that they don’t need at all. It’s a sobering thought, and one that more people should really reflect on. To illustrate my point, let’s look at just how trivial people can be.
Some gadgets become useless over time. Others begin useless. Here we have five gadgets that people have thought up, invested in, developed, manufactured and (most frighteningly) sold. You may begin lamenting our race now.
The Banana Peeler/De-Stringer
Soon, we will not be able to eat a Kit Kat bar without the help of a gadget. Seriously, how hard can peeling a banana be? Put a little muscle into it, if it’s still a little green.No wait, you never had any, since you’ve been playing video games since birth.
The USB-Powered Heated Mittens
Too cold to poke at your keyboard? Since you can’t touch type anyway, these are for you. It comes in various designs with varying levels of friend-deterring power and keeps you chained to your computer, literally. Daisy-chained to your computer if you use a USB hub or two in between.
The Taser with MP3 Player
Taser. MP3 player. Leopard print.That is all.
The Electric Egg Boiler
Apparently this gem is a popular sell in China. I will let this ad I found on Alibaba (think Chinese Amazon.com) do the talking:
Stainless steel flat heating, sanitary, easy to clean
Stylish appearance, refined technology, simple operation, convenient and fast
Safe water and the dry auto-off feature over-temperature protection
Can cook eggs in different degrees of cooked tender
Cooking to keep the eggs fresh, tender and nutrition
Can be steamed eggs and steamed bread, and other small food
Work lights display, auto power off after the water dried
I suppose a pot and boiling water just won’t cut it in the 21st century.
The TV Hat
The king of useless gadgets. Got something to watch on your tiny, handheld media phone device thing? Put the TV Hat on to your head, then place your device in the pouch at the end of it.Ta-da. Your own private, miniature theatre. Being eavesdrop-proof and sneak-peek-proof, it gives you real privacy wherever you go. Truly genius, no? No. Just truly stupid. Because obviously one can’t just walk to a more isolated area to use their phone.
The waste generated from many of these products is astounding. While it is true that “one man’s junk is another’s treasure,” I think it’s safer to say that these are junk to all mankind. Intelligence applied to senselessness.
Novelty is inferior to charity. Take the time and money you would’ve spent tracking these things down to give to meeting the needs of the desperate instead. It’ll be one of the most useful things you can do.
AJ Pau once thought that he would become an astronaut-paleontologist superhero when he grew up, but he's an accountant. Writing and photography are two of his great loves. Has an obsession with older, turbocharged Volvos. AJ’s dabbled with the Internet since discovering Netscape 1.0 as a child and is neurally linked to Twitter.
When it comes to cell phones, everyone knows the iPhone. What about the other popular smartphone platform? Sorry, Waterloo, I’m not speaking of the BlackBerry. I’m speaking of the wacky green-mascot-wielding Google Android.
Here are a few up and coming handsets that will both excite and bore you. I can personally vouch for those feelings. Really.
Google Galaxy Nexus
Originally leaked as the Google Nexus Prime, the Samsung-built phone was announced recently as the Galaxy Nexus instead. Lousy name aside, this is the third incarnation of Google’s pure Android experience “Nexus” phones. While the big screen and decent camera aren’t revolutionary, what is ground-breaking is the new version of Android on board. They call it “Ice Cream Sandwich.” It looks and works far better than its predecessor, but the real success is its effect on journalism.
Google has gotten thousands of analysts and businesspeople talking about ice cream sandwiches with straight faces.
$149.95 with 3-year contract, most major carriers, available now
Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE Back in the day, Samsung released the Galaxy S and I thought it sounded dumb. Apparently, stupid nomenclature now knows no bounds. That aside, the Galaxy S II HD LTE is likely the greatest version of its Galaxy S II phone. This iteration pairs the thin and powerful phone with an enhanced screen and astonishingly quick 4G LTE connectivity. Shaw Cable Nitro just got served.$lots, SK Telecom, LG U+ and KT (i.e. only in South Korea), available now
HTC Sensation XL It’s an Android smartphone. Most of them have big touchscreens, decent processors and acceptable cameras. What sets this one apart is that it’s the first smartphone to be infused with Dr. Dre’s marketing mumble-jumble. That’s right, this phone has Beats audio. Apparently, it makes a difference, but if you ask me, just buy older studio monitors and an Altoids tin CMOY amp. Seriously.Free with contract, Three (and other European carriers), available now
Motorola Atrix 4G Sequels can be hits or misses. The Atrix was one of the first dual-core smartphones on the market and the Atrix 4G picks up what its predecessor put down. Like the first one, it has an optional laptop dock that transforms the phone into a, well, laptop. Corning Gorilla Glass covers the front, guaranteeing that the screen will be the only thing that survives the destruction of Earth. Other than that, the beefier specs bring its multimedia capabilities to 2011 standards.$Free with 3-year contract, Bell Canada, available now
Sony Ericsson Xperia arc S I was really impressed by the original Xperia arc that Rogers Wireless released earlier this year. Huge screen, quick phone, usable. The arc S improves on the arc by…doing nothing. It’s practically the same phone with a slightly overclocked (but same) processor and some new colours. So, basically, it’s for those people who didn’t get it the first time and can now get the arc s to show it off to those that have the arc.Or not. I really don’t know the purpose of this phone.$528.50 unlocked, direct from Sony, available now
Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman There is a model number for this phone, and in fact, I prefer it over the silly name.“Hey Bob, what did you get today?”“Oh, I just bought myself the Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman Android smartphone.”Words of such grandeur have never been spoken. The phone is rather mediocre too.
$TBD, likely only direct from Sony, hopefully available never
AJ Pau once thought that he would become an astronaut-paleontologist superhero when he grew up, but he's an accountant. Writing and photography are two of his great loves. Has an obsession with older, turbocharged Volvos. AJ’s dabbled with the Internet since discovering Netscape 1.0 as a child and is neurally linked to Twitter.
That pretty much sums things up. Yesterday morning came and went and a Steve-Job-less Apple stage released no iPhone 5. Instead, almost every existing Apple product ended up looking exactly the same. They came out and patted their backs on the explosive growth of Apple products sold. The iPod line remains mostly unchanged, aside from a nicer screen and more clock faces for the iPod Nano and a new, white iPod Touch. The upcoming iOS software that powers most Apple mobile devices got another primer, one almost identical to the presentation back in June 2011.
And whoppee, you can now design and send real greeting cards from your iDevice. Sorry, Hallmark.
The real star was the update to the iPhone. While mostly identical in appearance to the existing iPhone 4, the new iPhone 4S adds a lot of power under the screen. A fantastic new 8-megapixel camera looks like it can blow most compact shooters out of the water. It also helps that it can shoot (and still edit) 1080p hi-def video. A new dual-core processor and better graphics make the leap from the iPad 2 into this phone. All that new power makes Apple’s new Siri voice assistant possible. While not a new concept, Siri on the iPhone brings voice control and feedback to an amazingly natural level. Ask Siri if you would need to bring an umbrella today and it would answer, yes, because there is rain in the forecast. Of course, this also opens the way to asking Siri stupid questions. For hours.
The iPhone 4S will be available on October 14, 2011. Prices vary from $199 to $399 with slavery to a mobile phone carrier. iOS 5 is slated to be released on October 12, 2011, so that older iPhones, iPod Touches and iPads can feel important too.
AJ Pau once thought that he would become an astronaut-paleontologist superhero when he grew up, but he's an accountant. Writing and photography are two of his great loves. Has an obsession with older, turbocharged Volvos. AJ’s dabbled with the Internet since discovering Netscape 1.0 as a child and is neurally linked to Twitter.
Whether we like it or not, social media infiltrates a lot of what we do on a daily basis. Last night as we experienced the excruciating defeat of our Canucks social media sites like twitter and Facebook were ablaze.
Shara Lee is the founding Editor of Converge Magazine. Find her on twitter @shara_lee to keep up with her up to the minute thoughts and be inundated with pictures of her dog.
That pretty much sums things up. Yesterday morning came and went and a Steve-Job-less Apple stage released no iPhone 5. Instead, almost every existing Apple product ended up looking exactly the same. They came out and patted their backs on the explosive growth of Apple products sold. The iPod line remains mostly unchanged, aside from a nicer screen and more clock faces for the iPod Nano and a new, white iPod Touch. The upcoming iOS software that powers most Apple mobile devices got another primer, one almost identical to the presentation back in June 2011.
Whether we like it or not, social media infiltrates a lot of what we do on a daily basis. Last night as we experienced the excruciating defeat of our Canucks social media sites like twitter and Facebook were ablaze.
