The Tipping Point

The premise of the tipping point is, at first appearance, a simple one: tiny, seemingly-insignificant changes can produce massive effects. What makes this book so enjoyable are the varied examples Gladwell uses. These different instances are what paint the picture in our minds and make it a wildly interesting read.

What took the little-known shoes, “Hush Puppies”, and brought them from being discontinued to being a hundred million dollar staple of American fashion? It was friend-group of fifteen kids living in Soho who wanted to be different. They just went to the thrift store on the corner (one of the only places they were available), bought them, and started wearing them. As the trend snowballed to kids in neighboring districts and past the “tipping point”, Hush Puppies shortly went city-wide, state-wide, nation-wide, and then global nearly overnight.

So, what was the secret kindling to the explosion? Here’s where it gets more complex (and more interesting). After Gladwell lays out what the “tipping point” is, he seeks to look at situations from every angle to figure out the subtleties that make epidemics happen. If you could introduce these tiny elements into the equation, you would effectively have the power to make any idea, trend, or product “tip”.

What I found most interesting was a closer examination of the people involved in the epidemic spread of ideas. Most people roll with the crowd, says Gladwell, but some are different. These people are the key:

• Connectors: Think about the person you know involved with many different people and more importantly, many different groups of people. You’ve likely met a good portion of your friends through them.


• Mavens: What connectors are for people, mavens are for information. These are the people who are constantly learning and are always informed and many times ahead of great trends, products, and ideas. Mavens love to help people because they simply enjoy it. They might even have a blog reviewing books and writing on the big ideas of life…


• Salesmen: As the name implies, these people are good at tipping people who are on the edge about a particular idea into actually going with the idea. Think of the friend who always gets you to come out to whatever it is going on that night.

Along with the people involved in epidemics, Gladwell also looks at the message’s “stickiness”, and “channel limits” but these shan’t be expanded here. In elaborating on these concepts he probes Paul Revere’s midnight ride, crime in New York, syphilis in Philadelphia, Airwalk shoes, the absolute brilliance of Sesame Street, college vaccinations, the Ya-ya sisterhood, and even John Wesley’s preaching in England. Each of these examples lends different information vital to understanding what goes into the epidemic spread of ideas, giving us the huge output wrought by tiny input.

“So, then,” you might ask, “Where’s the application?” Honestly, you would be well served by simply reading this book for entertainment as I did. But, the potential applications are endless. “The Tipping Point” could have huge implications on starting a photography business, getting people to live healthier or eat organic food, gospel ministry, or simply alerting people about an upcoming concert. That’s what’s so doubly good about “The Tipping Point” Don’t get me wrong: the reader is learning a new concept, but through great writing and unique examples, learning rarely proves to be this fun.

Crazy Love

What kind of faith saves? Is it o.k. to just “believe” and not really do much else? What does God feel about my faith if I’m “sort of” all-in? If I’m not one of those “crazy Christians”? What about if I’m wealthy (and if you’re in America- you are wealthy)?

In my favorite opening sentence to a book, the beloved mystic, A.W. Tozer writes "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us". This is right where Francis Chan picks up. As Crazy Love moves from who God is to our response, Chan separates out American-church notions of God and Christianity from biblical ones. In this challenging but soul-stirring book, Francis Chan addresses, deeply and directly, the biggest confusion of our time. Namely, what is Christian faith?

As I read Chan’s biblical view of just how huge, just how powerful, and just how holy our God is, I really had no other option than to close my eyes and just sit in awe. I didn’t pray, I didn’t cry, I just sat and marveled- and I repented of the tiny view of God I had constructed in my mind. What else is there for man to do other than be wowed?

Through the book and the companion videos (the book has a website!) Chan succeeded in bringing me again and again to worship. Chapter 4, “The Profile of the Lukewarm” was the chapter that resonated with me the most. The idea of people calling themselves Christian while meanwhile having little idea what “Christian” really means. That was me for 19 years of life. So much to say here, but Francis basically talks about the new birth and signs of the new birth with slightly different terminology than Piper or I would use (check out my previous posts on the new birth!).

Nevertheless, Chan’s profile of the lukewarm cuts to crux of the problem: faith is not shown by creeds, church attendance, a clean mouth and not smoking or drinking. As Tozer or Chan might say, what a man believes about God shows through in what they do and how they act.

But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (James 2:18)

In a modern way, Francis simply shows biblical truth in a fresh way. The secret is not hours of painstaking research into the Greek meaning and the culture at the time. His secret: just read it. Just read it for what it says. It will blow your mind and call you to rearrange your entire life.

The quote that got me was “Something is wrong when our lives make sense to unbelievers”. Chan writes about when he was in bible college and his professor asked him a very simple question. “What are you doing right now in your life that requires faith?” This question hit me in the same way it hit Francis, like a brick. What situations was I in where if God didn’t come through for me, I was screwed? For all the bible studies, church services, and cru meetings I’ve been to and for all the theology and apologetics that I’ve studied, I realized that I was not really trusting God for anything. Nothing in my life required God to act. In two words… no faith.

As the book takes a look at some ways that a life of real faith might be lived, it should become clear that the American church, for the most part, is marching to a far different tune than that of Jesus- in fact it might actually be opposed to it. We see that we must repent of the ideas of God and faith that have shaped us our whole lives, from the first time we stepped into church. We must start to take our cues from the Bible instead of our surroundings. It is eternally important that we start to understand and to live out crazy love.

Worship

I saw worship tonight unlike any worship I've seen in a long time. Passion. Sincerity. Longing. Tears were shed. Laughs were laughed. Excitement was had. It was powerful- a true tribute to these faithful to see people of diverse backgrounds coming from miles around, uniting in a common theme. For some, worship was simply their weekly pilgrimage. For the more zealous, this worship was a continuation of the normal week.

What had brought so many people to gather here tonight? It seemed like the reasons numbered as many as the people. Some found themselves here because a friend had reached out and invited them. Some came for fun- for this was the highlight of their week. Still more came because this was all they've ever known. Most just came with deep deep needs, with love at the top of the list.

As the night wore on, the music seemed to only arouse people to more and more passion until they were almost overcome by the power of what was going on. With every song, the excitement built. Soon, it was as if every song was their last. I watched as singing spilled over into dancing, which in turn overflowed into laughter which only made the singing come with more reckless abandon.

Never was the community's faith more apparent than when the chance to give their money came. Here's where they put their money where their mouth was. It was unreal the way people opened their wallets, throwing caution to the wind and giving huge chunks of their income. Some were a bit skittish, only throwing in a small chunk of what they had made that week. The leaders, however, inspired the whole congregation as they gave and gave and gave. Indeed, the level of their faith and passion were inspiring for me to see as men and women bowed down to god, laying it all down before the lord, knowing that there was no more worthy cause than this.

Of course many people had certain ways they liked to express their faith. Some were more charismatic, some had some strange ideas about right and wrong, some emphasized different parts of the ministry, but when all was said and done, they laid it all down because of their love for their god. It was a moving scene of ecumenism and tolerance.

By the end of the night, memories had been shared, wounds felt better, friends had seemingly been made, and the worries of life had slipped away.

My friends, this... experience did not happen in a church. It didn't happen at a Campus Crusade meeting, a bible study, or a retreat. No, this temple is down the street at my local bar. Worship was also held at the party on the other side of the street. Weekend services are held Friday and Saturday night but most are open all week if you have special needs during the work week.

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Many followers will deny their worship, but don't let them fool you. They might say they worship God, gods, Buddha, or Jesus. Remember though, what a man or woman worships is simply where they turn to for joy, peace, satisfaction, fun, fellowship, and healing. It's where their time goes. It's where their money goes. It's what someone plans their free time around. As they reminisce about last weekend and look forward to the next, it becomes crystal clear which god this is.

As I left the temple, into the cool night, I knew that the pain for these devoted followers would not come tonight. Maybe it wouldn't even come this year. But, as the bar closes, as the years pass, their is only pain for these worshipers. This is a wound that is felt by the men and women themselves and the ones closest to them.

You see, this god is a harsh god. He appears innocent from the outside, but this is a god who slowly and deceptively puts shackles on many. The lashes of this god's whip are felt as men and women lose their character and, slowly, they lose their care about real issues and real people. As families ever-so-slowly crumble and lives are wasted, still the god cries out for more: more money, more worship, more time thinking about him. Indeed, his power isn't always apparent. It's not until one tries to escape until they feel the full power of their master.

Many will die in their chains. It will hold them their whole life. Some, though, will see their chains as chains. They might ask if they are the person they always thought they'd be, the person they always wanted to be. They might seek to break free.

There is one who came to break the chains, to set the captives free. And my God, does he long to free the slaves and to give them a new master.


For more, scroll down to my "July 8th" post.

A Birthday Present

I finished this book about a week ago, but I figured that I would put up a review due to the fact that it's John Calvin's 500th birthday today! I think I'll try to have a brew to John Calvin tonight! Here's to you, Johnny!

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As I grew up watching basketball I noticed that the most prominent players seemed to have been given nicknames in the form of "The ______". We have "The Dream", "The Glide", "The Worm". Portrait of Calvin is a brief look at the man simply remembered as "The Theologian".For many years, a reference to "The Theologian" was widely recognized as a reference the reformer who had such a fervor for truth. Few men in history have had the combination of drive, passion, intellect, and humility that formed John Calvin. On the day when one of the most prolific, influential writers and pastors of the last millenia died, May 27, 1564, his burial was not followed by tens of thousands of Europeans. Instead, his request was granted and he was buried in an unmarked grave, the final push in pointing towards Jesus Christ rather than John Calvin.

This is not a summary of the Institutes or even of his theology but simply a look at who Calvin was: a man like you and me. We live in an age where it is so easy to take people and turn them into a symbol or set of ideas. As Parker brings us through Calvin's academic upbringing, conversion, battles with the local government, and even love life, a man emerges different from "the angry predestination guy" that is more or less the light he is portrayed in on his 500th birthday.

He was a man saved by grace who worked extremely hard in both reforming the church and the city in which he lived, Geneva. He was a man who made many friends along with many enemies as he sought to live out God's will in Geneva. His reverence for the Scriptures have inspired countless theologians. Few writers in history have shared the lasting power that Calvin has. Though his nickname (The Theologian) is known to fewer people today on his birthday, as time goes by, we see that it is a name deserved more with each passing day.

River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze

As I finished the last pages of River Town by Peter Hessler I couldn't help but being surprised at what I was feeling. Here I was, at 2 in the morning in northern Minnesota, yet I wanted to savor the last pages slowly. That simply because as I came to the end of the book, I knew that I had to leave China. I knew as I left the ancient rivers and mountains, that the adventure of two years in the far east with close friends and was coming to an end.

What words come to mind when trying to sum up River Town? The first two that come are simply beautiful and peaceful. River Town is a serene book written about one man's experience as a teacher in China in the Peace Corps. The book documents every learning point, every major experience, every akward moment w/ the students (and the Communist party), and every moment of growth in understanding.

As Peter Hessler weaves the rich history of one of the oldest remaining civilizations into his story, the reader starts to understand how deeply the past (especially the past century) has affected the life and perspective of every individual Chinese. Through Hessler's lens we begin to see a people- a proud people with an exciting future still scarred deeply by a painful past.

Nowhere is the tension of China's past and future, of history and progress, more evident than in one of the key themes of the book: The Three Gorges Dam. The controversy of the dam so well-documented throughout the world is nearly unbeknownst to the people actually being affected by the dam. As people are removed from homes and thousand-year-old landmarks, like the White Crane Ridge, are wiped from history, we are faced with the realization that the Chinese are regularly faced with difficult decisions and sacrifices that Americans have never dreamed of making.

Most of all, River Town is a trip to a different world. Since I've been back from China for the last two years, I have longed to go back- to see the countryside, to learn the language. As I lived vicariously through Hessler I found that in a real way I was seeing the countryside, that I was experiencing the joys and frustrations of learning the language, and more than that, I was getting to know China and it's people. This is a very beautifully and well-written book. If you've ever dreamed of walking the Chinese countryside, pick River Town up and prepare for the trip of a lifetime.

The Gospel

Here's a test! I wanted to test out video on my blog and I figured no better way than putting up the best news ever!

Ya fied

Hey, I just got laid off from my job after the project I was engineering was scrapped! It's the middle of summer (I should have a ton of money saved) and I've got 400 bucks to my name. Man, it's going to be sweet to see how God gets me out of this one!