Christian Web Conference at Biola

So, last Friday I had an opportunity to go hang out with some articulate, philosophically & theologically grounded blogger types at Biola’s Christian Web Conference. Rather than focusing on the tech how-to’s, this conference gathered together some very educated, and predominantly Reformed thinkers to share on the philosophical ramifications of online interaction.

I could only attend Friday (it went Saturday as well) but highlights for me included:

- Hearing Tim Challies speak about “Tweeting the Truth with Love”. He presented a great metaphor for online interaction by comparing the slave traders of the 1700’s  & how their behavior changed once they got away from home. He shared Admiral Lord Nelson’s quote, “every sailor’s a bachelor beyond Gibraltar” to highlight how human behavior changes once we venture beyond the bounds of observing society. Seemingly decent men, once away from home, became cruel, base and brutal in the slave trade…likewise, regular church folk can do, say and view things they shouldn’t in the privacy of their own computers. The bottom line is, who we are will come out online — for better or for worse. You can read his post here.

- John Acuff of StuffChristiansLike.com spoke on the role of satire in communicating the truth. Humor allows us to present truth in a surprising way… so that our audience can perhaps receive truth they’d otherwise repel. I so appreciated how he shared his journey of struggling with the monster of pride in his blogging. After God wrestled with his heart, he concluded…”I wanted to be famous; now I want to be famous to my kids.” A reminder for all of us to take to heart.

Got to catch up with twitter folk I hadn’t seen in a while like Josh Roberts, Cynthia Ware, Anne Jackson, Drew Goodmanson, Rhett Smith, Marc Payan, Brent Gudgel, Dave Mahanes, Dan Portnoy, Amy Kimes. And meet some fabulous new folks like

• Marcus Goodyear an Editor from TheHigherCalling
• Molly, a blogger from Minneapolis who gets to go on Compassion International’s next trip to El Salvador
• Chum from Bel Air Presb’s Foundry, a friend of Rhett Smith’s
• Ben Lemery a blogger I like to call “the Acerbic Strawberry Dude” (he works for the CA Strawberry Commission)
• Michael Kane, a media director at Ron Hutchcraft ministries in Arkansas

I appreciated the opportunity to end the day with a walking tour of Downtown Disney, guided by Mel McGowan of Visioneering Studios.

By decarter in God stuff, friends, tech

Tags: blogging, tech, twitter