A new online friend of mine, Joey Bergeron, sent me a Facebook message today that made my day. He thanked me for being an inspiration to him, and specifically thanked me for how open I am about my sharing my faith online. Technology allows us to relate to each other. We’ve both been married for 11 years. But God is at work in our lives in very different, but both just as important, ways.

After a few messages / chats, and then even a phone call, I started to see just how much God was behind us connecting. My eyes were opened to the fact that you don’t “need to be somebody” to inspire others. I’m not any more important than you are. I don’t have a better chance of inspiring someone than you do. And neither do leaders, celebrities, or people who are greatly admired for their skill / work. Agree?

To inspire someone could very well be one of the greatest compliments you could receive, which is why I am blogging about this. I want to challenge both you and I to realize that our lives (online and offline) have been given to us to glorify God and relay the thrill of following Him to others. All of us struggle with the necessities of being an inspiration (transparency, honesty, listening, etc.), but we don’t have to be all of them to light the match.

The people you have been placed on this earth to inspire might be totally different than those that I have. Some might know Christ, and some might not. But God has given those people to you. Do you believe you are an inspiration? Are you struggling with connecting with others or finding the place God has for you to shine? Or maybe you could share how you have been inspired (or by who), or maybe how and who you might have been an inspiration to?

Might seem like a scam, but it’s as honest as I can be. The world is anticipating the iPad’s launch tomorrow. I’m not getting one, but hope those that made the purchase are happy. Now to the big giveaway here on the blog that I have been tweeting about.

I’m sure a few of my readers would prefer the iPad, but I’m fairly certain that a few need this more than that device. Without it, all is lost. I thought I would be generous and just share it with everyone, rather than giving it to just one select individual. So here you go. Do me a favor and read it carefully. If you open the link and quickly close the window, chances are you’ll regret not having accepted the gift.

If you’ve already accepted the gift before, do me a huge favor and pass it on to your friends via Facebook and Twitter who might appreciate the thought. Thank you!

Flipped on the TV last night, hoping to laugh for a few minutes as a was winding down. The past few nights I’ve enjoyed watching Travis Pastrana and crew on Nitro Circus over on MTV2. No dice on Nitro, and I made the mistake of stopping on a channel highlighting the Oscars. I doubt there’s anything on the entire year that I can’t stand more than our cultures lust over who we label as “famous”. Obivously I avoid award shows like the plague. Thanks to Twitter though, it’s clear that even the church today struggles with putting humans in a spotlight only God deserves?

The word inglorious (shameful / disgraceful) actually sums up Hollywood to me. I know it was used in the title of a film (I haven’t seen yet), but Hollywood has it all backwards. While spending just a minute watching the post-Oscars feed last night I saw a young woman refer to the night as “glorious”. Are you kidding me? Sure, humans are talented. Talented at acting, sports, creativity, and the list goes on. But glorious? Can humans get together in any room on the face of the earth (large or small) and do anything that can be defined as glorious? Maybe they should check out John 5:41-44?

Glory is only for God. Our culture is blind. Believing that what we create (moments of time or objects) deserves to be admired. Should be a bit obvious when one of the most popular teen words is “EPIC”. No wonder people struggle with just being themselves. And you and I still struggle with that after knowing the Christ is enough? Wasn’t the second level of the tower of Babel too high?

“Look at yourselves. Unplug from your chairs. Get up and look in the mirror. What you see is how God made you. We’re not meant to experience the world through a machine.” – Ving Rhames opening quote in Surrogates (now available on DVD / Blu-Ray).

A surrogate is defined as an arrangement for a woman to carry and give birth to a child who will be raised by others. Might seem like an odd start to a post on a blog that usually is focused on the relationship between a Christian faith in God and the use of technology, but I think it will make lots of sense in a few seconds!

Without ruining the movie for you, it basically illustrates how people will be able to stay in their homes in the future, sit in a chair, and control an artificial intelligent (AI) version of themselves. The “computer you” would look just like you. It would go to work, parties, drive, etc. Might sound a bit crazy, but who knows if it really will end up playing out in reality in the years to come.

My point? I believe, even though our surrogates aren’t out walking around today, that many of us are living our lives with that mentality already today. We get our thrills off of being known as someone out in cyberspace, possibly someone that is who we dream of being in person. A few points from the movie labeled this mentality / reality as an invasion of being human. Opening up the possibility of achieving all of your dreams, but not REALLY. A virtual Bucket List I guess?

Are there times when you pour too much effort into your online identity / relationships? Are real-life relationships less of a focus than they need to be? Do you find yourself struggling to focus on serving / listening to / growing with others (and closer to God as a result?

The film and Christian cultures are at a crossroads. Hollywood is struggling (like politics) these days by venturing so far left of the cross, and Christian films struggle by not moving from the far right. Denzel Washington, a devout Christian and very successful actor, produced the first movie that actually encompassed both sides of the cross (and stuck to the central point too). Many, including myself, probably weren’t aware that he is the son of Denzel Washington Sr., a preacher for over 60 years. So how was he able to co-produce a film like this in today’s culture? That’s the question that many in the Christian film industry have to be asking.

Most of those films don’t offer the expertise of Hollywood (with this movie being delivered by Alcon Entertainment / directed by The Hughes Brothers). More details on the film here. For some reason conservative Christians might think of that as “being of this world” (John 15:19)? This film contained a unique mix of intense violence, gore and profanity, while Eli (played by Denzel) kept a clean mouth and shared many direct Biblical truths throughout it. As a co-producer of the film, I would love to hear what Denzel’s thoughts are on creating a story that made the truths of God extremely clear to the eyes of a majority of our country that don’t call Him their Father. Something Christian films fall very short of.

And for Christians. What would conservative Christian institutions have to say to me if they knew I was a fan of this “R rated movie”? I know the high school I attended sure would have given me the boot. Is our faith not strong enough to be in community with violence or vulgarity? Does just being among that kind of a lifestyle mean that you will fall into it? I guess I would much rather our faith (like Denzel’s) actually be seen and heard by those who might have never given it much thought than to rest on the ears of those who have heard it thousands of times and whose lives aren’t changed by it.

To end the review, I’d strongly recommend you go see the movie. You won’t be the same. I’m really glad and shocked that I didn’t share much of the storyline – it’s incredible! Here is a link to the official movie website.