This is my last discussion on Q, I think. There are two reasons I’ve given so much time to it: 1) it is a high-caliber conference that many people admire; 2) when you hear 40 presentations in two and a half days, there’s a lot to talk about.
What were some of the 40 presentations? Well, broadly speaking, they came from 7 spheres of culture: media, church, business, education, government, social sector, and arts/entertainment. More specifically, they included:
- Donald Miller and Gabe Lyons alternating duties as MCs.
- Tom Ritchey, mountain-biking phenom, talking about how new bicycle models are revolutionizing the way people in Rwanda haul their goods.
- Jamin-Brophey Warren, founder of Kill Screen, captivating the audience with his discussion on the role and importance of video games in today’s culture and tomorrow’s.
- David Kinnaman, from the Barna Group and author of UnChristian, categorizing the three movements of believers in our generation–prodigals, nomads, and exiles.
Now, I realize two problems in what I’m offering thus far. One is I’m identifying a person by what they do. Two is I’m giving a description of a person’s life in a sentence. I want to make sure we recognize these people have families and problems and schedules, and they are human beings, just like you and me. They are not on a pedestal or somehow super-human. May we keep that in mind as I share a few more presentations I enjoyed:
- Jennifer Wiseman, an astrophysicist whose done work with the Hubble Telescope, showing off pictures of God’s handiwork from a few trillion miles away (or light years away). I can’t remember when numbers get that big.
- Mel McGowan, an urban designer, explaining how city layout can encourage or discourage community. We need to live closer together my friends!
- Bob Goff, who could become the first American on the Ugandan Supreme Court, helping us rediscover true whimsy. Fascinating man with a fascinating approach to life.
- Portland’s Mayor and the County Comissioner sharing how much they appreciate their relationship with Imago Dei and other churches in Portland.
- Kevin Kelly, the maverick at Wired magazine, predicting the future of technology–like the possibility of our kids never learning to drive because all vehicles are robot-driven. Crazy, but possible.
- Bobette Buster, the “story expert” for Pixar, Disney, and Sony, telling a great story about the role of story in entertainment and culture.
We need to tell great stories. May we write some together!
Omer Redden 