Jayson Whelpley

The Hunger Games and Racism, both conscious and unconscious.

2012-03-28T18:28:08Z

My wife and I are both reading the Hunger Games right now. We’ve not seen the movie, but I’ve heard nothing but good things so far.

I don’t often frequent Jezebel.com, but my coworker shared a link to a particularly interesting article about reading, mental images and specifically racism and the Hunger Games books and movie.

Specifically, some movie-goers were annoyed, upset and angered at the fact that Rue, one of the central supporting characters, being cast as a black girl, even though she was pretty specifically described as being exactly that in the book. These really are great and interesting reads that delve into how we perceive characters in literature and movies. Warning, language and snark in both articles.

The second one totally gets at some things that I’ve been realizing when I read, and some questions that I’ve been asking as well.

EDIT: There, Nifer, you happy? I linked to your Tumblr!

Spurgeon: Figs and Olive Berries

2012-03-22T02:16:26Z

Awesome:

This fact ought also to promote in us brotherly admiration. It is one of the most beautiful exhibitions of a Christian spirit when a Christian man admires the gifts and graces of others more than he admires his own; when, instead of thinking of anything in which he excels others, he delights in those things in which they excel him. We ought to emulate the spirit of that noble Roman who, when he was beaten at an election, said he was glad that his country had so many better men than himself. It is not always easy to feel, “I am happy in knowing of a brother who is so much more brilliant than I am, for the world sadly needs far more light than I can give.” It is not alway easy to play the least important instrument in the band, and to rejoice that somebody else can beat the big drum, or blow the silver cornet; yet that ought to be our feeling. You remember how prettily Bunyan speaks of Christiana and Mercy admiring each other after they had been in the bath: “They could not see that glory each one on herself which they could see in each other. Now, therefore,they began to esteem each other better than themselves. ‘For you are fairer than I am,’ said one; ‘and you are more comely than I am,’ said another.” So should Christians see and admire the work of the Spirit in other Christians, and should bless God that there are such gracious men and women in the world; while those who are thus admired should, in their turn, see greater excellence in others than they see in themselves.

Interesting:

May God save all of us from bearing two kinds of fruit in this unnatural and dishonouring fashion! Suppose the whole Church of God should act thus, and at one time be eminent for holiness and at another time be notorious for sin, what would be the consequence? Suppose, for instance, that certain people were very particular about their attendance at public worship, and yet were known to frequent the theater, would it not be a strange state of things?

Awesome again:

I have often heard and read that England is a Christian country, but I have never seen any evidence of the truth of that statement, though there are some Christians in England, as there are some in India, China, Africa, and other countries which no one regards as Christian. Yet according to some people, all Englishmen are Christians, though some of them never enter a place of worship, and others are drunk every night in the week, and many do not even believe in the existence of God. To call a horse an angel will not make him an angel, and to call a man a Christian will not make him a Christian. You may label, and enroll, and number the unsaved as much as you like, but you will not make even one of them a Christian by that process any more than putting the name “olive” on a fig tree will change its nature, and make it produce olive berries.

And to the point:

Perhaps someone asks, “But, sir, what is it to be born again?” Well, it is not a mere outward change of life; it is not simply a giving up of certain sins, and a desire to possess certain virtues. It is as great a work as if you were to be annihilated,to pass absolutely out of existence,and God were to make a new man in your place.

Sermon text.

A Conversation With a Social Network

2012-03-02T00:06:25Z

Oh hey there, Path. How are you? It’s been a while. How’s start-up life?

Oh, I’ve been good, you know hanging out with Facebook and Twitter, and a lot with Instagram; and you?

I’m sorry to hear that.

No, no, don’t think that; you’ve got a great personality. You’re inventive and unique, and I like the people who hang out with you a bunch, it’s just… well… you’re a bit antisocial still and I tend to hang out where people actually are a lot. I think it’s just that our paths don’t cross very often.

Yes, yes, I know your name is Path… yes I know you’re supposed to be more limited and all that, it’s just that I only have so much time in my day that I can put into “social” networking, and most (not all) of the people I really want to interact with don’t hang out with you!

Yeah. Yeah, it’s not you, but it’s not me either it’s just life, you know?

Hey, I’m traveling next week, how about this – I’ll get ahold of you then and you can come to Austin, too, okay?

Alright. Well, have a good one, tell Google+ I said, “What’s up!”

A sense of direction. [UI Design]

2012-01-16T16:49:32Z

Today, as my daughter watched her Your Baby Can Read video, I had ghosts of the 99% Invisible podcast dancing through my head. In a flash I realized that the time-line indicator on every video program or site moves from left to right. This is was someone’s conscious design choice. There was an option to move from right to left.

The Your Baby Can Read videos show words and then have an arrow underneath them that slide from left to right to train the babies to scan words that way. Again… left to right.

Once you think about it, the time-line indicator decision is obvious. We scan everything from left to right. It’s second-nature but it’s not natural, it’s something we learn before we even realize it.

My question: do time lines and play buttons in Israel, Iran and Saudi Arabia go the other way?

Where Social Media Fails: The whole story.

2012-01-15T03:22:30Z

Tonight, during the 3rd quarter of the New England Patriots & Denver Broncos playoff game an ad ran with children reciting (preforming?) John 3:16 in what I think is a pretty cute way… I had to say I liked it. But, as soon as I saw the Focus on the Family logo come up, I knew that there would be a good bit of Twitter buzz about it. Sure enough, within 30 seconds of the commercial there were about 100 messages. The only ones that were’t strongly for it or against it were merely funny.

**Social media doesn’t tell the whole story. It can’t because people only share what they choose to share.**

“Tebow mania” and the sheer amount of vitriol toward Focus on the Family compounds the truth that the Gospel is one of two things to people who resist it: a stumbling block or foolishness.

So, here’s how the response on Twitter breaks down:

All of the people who liked it were already Christians, people who weren’t Christians didn’t like it.
The use of kids was either “cute”, “powerful” and “classy”; or “manipulative” and “disgusting”.
The connection to Tebow was mentioned pretty often, some thinking he paid for it. Others pointing out that FotF chose not to play it during the 49ers game.
~~There were a few mentions that all of the children were white. (I can’t confirm this, but I saw it a few times.)~~ [EDIT: About 5 minutes after I posted it I found it on YouTube. This isn’t true at all, the first child was African American and when they have all the kids together it’s apparent that there are a LOT of minority children.

But, Twitter has a blind-spot. There are a significant group of people that haven’t said anything about it: people who have been drawn toward Christ because of it. Realistically, people are not going to come to Twitter and say, “that kids John 3:16 commercial really made a difference.” But, Isaiah 55:11 promises that God’s Word does not go out without effect. The people it’s affecting are not here.

This is one of the ways that social media will always fall short. The first people that will hear about the commercial’s effectiveness will be spouses, parents and perhaps a few pastors tomorrow morning.

For people in ministry, we have to remember this – social media can be effective, but it’s affecting people in real life (I like the term “meat space“) and we may never see how.

So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building. — 1 Corinthians 3:7-9

Adams

2011-12-05T20:50:54Z

So history starts with the first Adam, and Jesus is called the last Adam in places like 1 Corinthians 15:45 and Romans 5:12–21. The first Adam sinned and this last Adam atoned for sin. Through the first Adam, the human race fell; through the last Adam, members of that race can be saved. Through the first Adam, there was condemnation; through the last Adam, there can salvation. Through the first Adam, we inherit a sin nature; through the last Adam, we receive a new nature. Through the first Adam, we’re born sinners; through the last Adam, we’re born again, saints. The first Adam turned from God in a garden; and the last Adam turned to God in a garden, the Garden of Gethsemane. The first Adam was a sinner; and the last Adam is a Savior of sinners. The first Adam yielded to Satan; and the last Adam defeated Satan. The first Adam sinned at a tree; and the last Adam atoned for sin on a tree. The first Adam brought thorns; the last Adam wore a crown of thorns. The first Adam was naked and unashamed; the last Adam was stripped naked and bore our shame. Everybody is born in Adam. My hope is that you would be born again in the last Adam, Jesus Christ. See, Jesus is the better, greater Adam.

Mark Driscoll – How Jesus Taught the Bible

Not very many posts lately.

2011-11-15T21:42:40Z

I’m a dad.

It happens.

I am far too likable.

2011-09-29T14:06:49Z

“Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.” – Luke 6:26

If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. – Luke 15:19

I don’t feel that I am at all like Christ in these verses. That is probably a problem.

Effective Apologies from Leaders

2011-09-21T16:11:36Z

By now everyone knows that Netflix shot itself in the foot when it announced its new pricing structure — and that ridiculous new name for their DVD service. Well, they seem to have finally realized it as well, though only at some shallow level; releasing a statement of apology, which I have not read nor do I plan to because I’m not a Netflix customer and I don’t really care what their reasons were.

What I do find interesting is Vince Crew’s commentary where he talks about what a sincere and effective apology from a leader should look like:

Leaders benefit from apologizing for flawed moves IF:

They admit their fault and announce the fix within two to 24 hours of the incident.

They make some gesture to heal/compensate for the fractured relationships.

They incur repercussions for their flawed judgment.

They learn from the incident and don’t repeat it.

Now, this is specifically addressing tech companies which explains the 24 hour rule — totally legitimate for their ilk. The other three seem to be pretty universal though.

What are your thoughts? What should an apology from a leader look like?

What Deserves to be News?

2011-09-15T03:55:14Z

This headline caught my eye today. I have to admit that I didn’t read the article, because, honestly I’m not concerned about 6 deaths in central China. Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely tragic at some level and it’s likely extremely important news in that region. The question, though, is whether it’s important ‘news’ half way around the world.

I am sure that many will argue that something like this is powerful enough that it should be in the news here, that something like this should be broadcast out of respect for the lives that were taken. Also, it is far more important than the other ‘news’ about the trivialities of celebrities’ love lives and style choices… that’s an entirely other subject though.

This is a murder of 6 people in a country of 1.3 billion which is four times larger than the US… so, the argument that this is newsworthy is like saying that everytime or two people are murdered in the US the German media networks should run it as a top story and tweet it on its alerts feed.

My point in all of this is that these are the type of things that push to overwhelm our ability to take in important news. News thats important to our lives, policies and choices.

Admittedly, this isn’t the most thoroughly thought-out post, so you tell me what you think…