stay tuned

Many people have asked when I'm going to put more pictures of Sophia up.  All I can say is soon... hopefully.  We're back home now and trying to adjust to life with a newborn with all that that entails.  Pray for us.  

I'll put some new pics up as soon as we have time to breathe.

introducing.....

Sophia Ruth Scott

Born: November 27, 2008 (Thanksgiving Day)
8 pounds, 7 ounces
22 1/2 inches

My beautiful daughter, the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you his shalom.

virtual life, real tragedy

Q. What do you get when you combine a very sad news story with a bout of insomnia?

A. This blog post.  

Last Friday I found myself unable to sleep.  I'm a night person by default anyway, but this particular night found me unable to sleep until the wee hours of the morning.  In the midst of my insomnia I came across several articles about Abraham Biggs (pictured to the right), a 19-year-old Florida man who killed himself last week.  

Suicide is always tragic, but what makes Abraham's case more tragic is that he chose stream his suicide live on the web.  Abraham had posted an online suicide note last Wednesday and later that day overdosed on antidepressants and streamed his slow death live over the internet via a site called Justin.tv.  

Having never heard of Justin.tv before, and unable to sleep anyway, I ventured to the website.  What I found was interesting to say the least.  Justin.tv basically functions as a live version of YouTube or MySpace in that there is live interaction between people chatting about whatever video is streaming.  Fascinated, and still unable to sleep, I explored the site.  I say what I found there was interesting because the site is a prime example of how technology continues to evolve and make the world flat.  There are tons of different channels on Justin.tv all used for different purposes.  The number one type of channel by far is the sports channel.  On these channels people from all over the world are broadcasting matches of various sports so that fans can watch live wherever they are.  For example, maybe you're from Portugal but you are currently living in California and your favorite soccer team is playing a critical match that you can't view on television in the States.  No problem, just log on to Justin.tv and someone is probably livecasting it on the site.  In addition to watching the game you can also comment and chat with other fans from around the world as they watch with you.  The second most popular type of channel is the movie channel. Same concept, bored and looking for a good movie to watch? Log on and check out one of the many movie channels (or TV channels) and see what's playing.  Comment on the film or show with people and so on, and so on.  There are also channels that livecast pottery classes, concerts, workout routines, and many other things.  

While I say this is all interesting there is also in my opinion a very dark side to Justin.tv.  Surprisingly, the dark side of Justin.tv has nothing to do with pornography, which is surprising given the nature of the site and the ubiquity of porn on the web.  As part of their terms of service Justin.tv prohibits pornographic material from being streamed on their site and they do a pretty good job at enforcing this.  The dark side I am thinking of comes in the form of what's called lifecasting.  Sometimes lifecasting involves someone streaming their daily activities, work, hobbies, etc.  Often times it involves someone simply sitting in front of their webcam trying to interact with strangers online and responding to their various comments.  In Abraham's case, he chose to livecast his death.   

In this particular case many people have expressed horror and disgust at the fact that many people were viewing Abraham's ordeal.  At the time of his death there were apparently 181 people watching his suicide.  While a few people viewing attempted to dissuade Abraham and one was finally able to contact police, most were making fun of him and encouraging his actions.  In their article on this event the New York Times noted that, "Mr. Biggs was 'egged on' by strangers who, investigators say, encouraged him to swallow the antidepressant pills that eventually killed him."  They conclude their piece with this observation and quote:

"...the virtual nature of the community — distant, largely unaccountable and often seeking entertainment — was equally ambivalent. Hours after Mr. Biggs died, some of the forum users still sounded highly skeptical of the case. Others asked to see the video."

“The anonymous nature of these communities only emboldens the meanness or callousness of the people on these sites,” Mr. Cole said. “Rarely does it bring out greater compassion or consideration.”

As I said, many have expressed outrage and disgust at the response and involvement of the online community.  Maybe it's my cynicism, maybe it's my callousness, maybe it's my theological disposition about  the nature of mankind; but frankly people's reactions online don't shock or surprise me.  Humans have been profiting from and finding entertainment in the misery of other humans for a long time.  The internet has simply provided new ways to do that.

The situation with Abraham is tragic and heart breaking, but I think it points to a bigger problem.In my opinion, the dark side of Justin.tv is not simply that the suicide of one troubled young man was viewed and encouraged there.  I think there is something dark and disturbing about the whole concept of lifecasting as it is practiced on Justin.tv (not that I'm singling out Justin.tv, there are several other lifecasting sites that are equally disturbing to me).  Exploring Justin.tv in my insomnia induced enthrallment was like viewing a train wreck of human sadness, loneliness, and disconnection.  It seems to me that the sense of "community" sites like these produce is not just false but somehow enslaving.  Countless numbers of people sitting in front of their webcams waiting for someone to interact with them and wanting some sense of human contact seems like a complete affront to human interaction and relationships as they were meant to be.  

Obviously I'm not suggesting that all online communities and interactions  are evil and destructive (I am still keeping up this blog for instance).  I am suggesting though that there is a line that can be crossed where we go from using the internet to facilitate relationship and connectivity to an illusion of community that can ultimately damage true relationships  and isolate individuals. 

This post is way too long already so I'll conclude simply by saying this: If you know someone who spends too much time online, or who is into lifecasting, don't judge them; invite them over for dinner and share life with them for real.  If this describes you, give me a call and we'll have you over for dinner. 

sometimes ya just gotta hurl...

"... casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." 

                                                                                     - 1 Peter 5:7

The following is an excerpt from the update I just sent out to our prayer supporters:

The last few weeks have felt a bit like the calm before the storm as Brooke and I prepare to have a child and then move to the other side of the planet.  Not that things haven't been happening, they have.  However, there is definitely a sense in our home that everything is about to change.  Everyone wants to know if we're excited about this and the honest answer is, kinda.  Yes, we have a joy and excitement about bringing a new life into this world.  There is also a real anxiety and sober realization of the weighty task being given to us by God as he calls us to parent this child.  Are we excited to be heading back to Auckland?  After two years of raising support, living in perpetual transition, and constantly wondering if this was really going to happen; it's obviously exciting to be moving towards actually getting back to the city we've been called to minister to.  However, there is also sorrow at leaving family and friends behind as well as an awareness that in a real sense we are heading thousands of miles away from everything we know and are familiar with.  There is also hesitation as we are about to take on a task that is not merely difficult but actually impossible in our own strength.  Both in our return to New Zealand and the start of our life as parents there are real fears and big questions. 

Why do I share this with you?  Despite what is sometimes assumed in Christian circles, there is nothing godly or spiritual in denying or minimizing these hard things.  Trusting in Christ and finding our security, peace, and joy in him alone does not mean ignoring the difficult realities of living in a fallen world or wrestling with doubt, fear, and anxiety.  On the contrary, as Christians we are called to deal honestly with our anxiety, fears, and doubts and to cast them all on God.  We can't do this casting if we pretend the things that we need to cast on God don't exist or if we act like they're no big deal. The verb in the 1 Peter passage translated "casting" literally means to throw or hurl something.  How do we hurl things?  Not by pretending they don't exist.  We hurl something by getting a good grasp on it, evaluating its weight, and then chucking it as hard as we can.  Our God promises us that in his love and care for us he can handle anything we hurl at him.  And so we want to always be honest about our struggles so we can get a firm grasp on them and hurl them onto God who sustains us.  

let's let it be over

Brooke and I drove to Columbia, MO today for a couple of meetings and I was amazed at all the election propaganda still up in people's yards and many other places.  My thought was, whether your guy won or lost, why keep this stuff up?  

When we got home I found this video online and it answered my question, at least partially.

Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are

3 days later: post-election reflections

I've spent the last few days listening to and reading the opinions of various sorts of folks throughout the country.  The responses to Barrack Obama's election victory have ranged from unbridled jubilation to unmitigated bitterness.  I've heard reasonable voices from both sides but I've also come across zealots both for and against Obama.  I don't have any delusions that anything I might share here will be new or original.  However, this event seems so huge that I think I need to comment at least to help myself process.  

I'm not a Republican or a Democrat and in fact I don't hold any sort of political allegiance.  Also, to the horror and disgust of many people, I did not vote in this presidential election.  Long story short, I chose to practice principled abstention because I felt that, while there are several positive things about McCain and Obama, my voting for either of them would ultimately have forced me to vote against my principles, morals, and conscience.  For that reason I was content to let my voice be silent and to accept the decision of my fellow Americans.  I say all this simply to point out that my reflections are not partisan in spirit.  

So, without further ado, and for whatever they're worth, here are some of my thoughts, reflections, observations, and musings on the election this past tuesday:

- First and foremost, I am simply glad it's all over.  I am tired of listening to campaign ads filled with vague promises and attacks based on half-truths.  It seems to me that election seasons tend to bring out the worst in many people.  Hopefully, we can all get over it now and get back to life. 

- We have elected a black man to be our next president!  I don't care if you like Obama or are completely opposed to his policies, you have to appreciate the historic nature of this election.  It was only a couple of generations ago that our country was still practicing segregation.  Not much longer before that slavery was still legal.  As I said above, I'm not an Obama fan, but I am a fan of having a black man in the highest office of the land.  I just wish it could have been Alan Keyes or even Colin Powell.  I digress.  I'm proud that my country has, at least in this moment, risen above the sins of its past.  The most exciting thing for me is what this will mean for the next generation of young black men, particularly those who have bought into false notions of what it means to be "black."  

- I was impressed with both of the speeches made on Tuesday night by McCain and Obama.  I hope Obama holds true to his promises to rebuild relationships and to work together with Republicans, though the choice he's made for his Chief of Staff doesn't look like a step in that direction.  I was a bit saddened by McCain's concession speech.  If he had conducted his campaign with the tone, spirit, and clarity of that speech he may have had a fighting chance. 

- Quite frankly, based on the ugly and vicious attacks made on Obama by the McCain campaign I'm a bit glad he lost.  I think it would have been unfortunate to reward such a negative and inflammatory campaign with victory.  In many ways the allegations and fear-mongering perpetuated by McCain's people are, I think, one of the reasons he lost.  As soon as he was nominated McCain became a Republican monster that did look a lot like the Bush administration.  In defeat I think he reclaimed a bit more of his natural skin.  

- I know everyone is trying to find a scapegoat for McCain's defeat and I think there are many goats which could be "scaped."  Ultimately though, I think time will show that choosing Sarah Palin as a running mate was one of the worst political decisions made in recent history.  All I can say is that I am thrilled she will not be the Vice President and can only hope that she will fade away into political obscurity.  I fear though that she won't.  If you're looking for other scapegoats I think the two best options would have to be Bush and Cheney.

- I hope that Obama retains his apparent humility.  I think one of the major flaws of our last two presidents was their egos.  My hope is that when Obama makes a mistake in office, and he will, he will have the decency and humility to simply admit his mistake without being forced to.

- Speaking of mistakes, Obama will make them.  He is not Superman, he's human.  My fear is that when he does fail those on the Left will ignore or excuse it like many Republicans have done for the past eight years.  My other fear is that when he fails those on the Right will magnify it and blow everything out of proportion.  I would hope that both sides would be able to treat Obama with graceful respect while at the same time holding him accountable for his mistakes.  

- It's funny to me how so many people can talk about president-elect Obama as if he's a messiah and so many others can talk about him as if he's the anti-christ.  The fact is he is neither.  I think he will fail to accomplish both the best and worst expectations people seem to have.  When his presidency is over in 2012 or 2016 I believe many hopes and fears about this man will clearly be seen as unfounded.

- Finally, whether I agree with his policies and ideologies or not, Obama is my president.  As a Christian I am called to love all people but I am also called specifically to honor, pray for, thank God for, and submit to those who are appointed over me whoever they are.  For a well-worded perspective on this click here.  It saddens me deeply that many Christians are reflecting the ugliness of our culture instead of the grace of Christ in the wake of this election.  Seriously, I just want to smack some people.

So what are your thoughts?

what to expect when you're expecting... to freak out!

We only have 30 more days until Brooke's due date!!!

(I know this is a short post but, really, that sentence kinda sums it all up.)