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Feature Stories
COVER STORY
In the Booth, Not Of the Booth
As Nov. 4 approaches, for some Christians the question isn't whom to vote for the question is: Should I vote? If they cannot unequivocally throw their full support behind a candidate, is the answer to not vote at all? How should a Christian approach the voting booth? Shane Claiborn, Tony Campolo and Chris Haw give their insight into how Christians can engage in politics without becoming political.
Conor Oberst
Indie artist Conor Oberst, perhaps better known in the context of his group, Bright Eyes, is no stranger to taking a stand and speaking his mind on political and social issues. His interview with RELEVANT is no different, as he talks candidly about President Bush, his new album, spirituality and what he considers the single most dangerous thing happening in the world today.
ONLINE BONUS: Go here to read the full interview with Conor Oberst.
2008 Voters Guide
Still undecided on whom to vote for? Get the lowdown on McCain and Obama’s positions on the issues that matter to you, including global poverty, the environment, abortion and immigration. Read up on what they’ve said, what they’ve done and where they stand.
ONLINE BONUS: Go here to check out the candidates’ stances on more issues.
I Live with Another Man’s Wife
The idea of living with several other married couples may seem odd or off-putting at first, but to some, it makes total sense—from spiritual, emotional and financial standpoints. Matt Conner shares both the joys and difficulties of sharing life with others 24/7—and shows why communal living, from his mini-community all the way to the 400-member JPUSA community, gives individuals an opportunity to live out the Gospel.
 
Slices
Mos Def: Documentary Darling
Mos Def seems to have found a new voice in documentaries—and he’s not the only one. Documentaries have become the preferred method of giving voice to social issues in our culture. Check out six documentaries on SnagFilms.com that are tackling some heady issues—and influencing the way we think.
Counter Culture: Bedouins International
In our media-savvy, aesthetics-driven society, the look and feel of digital media is critical to attracting interest. Discovering that missionaries, churches and humanitarian organizations with small budgets often lack quality media—and in turn, fail to gain the attention of others—Bedouins International was created to provide quality media in the form of photography, video, web design and music ... and to do it for free. The hope is to connect these organizations with individuals who can help get their cause out there, whether through funds, prayers or word of mouth.
Counter Culture: Earth Expeditions
With little more than a backpack filled with the basic necessities, Daren Wendell is on a daunting journey—traveling around the world on his two feet. The journey, which is projected to take seven years to complete, allows Wendell to become a part of a greater cause, as he walks to raise money for Blood:Water Mission, an organization dedicated to promoting clean water and sanitation in Africa.
Counter Culture: Bands Without Borders
Bands Without Borders, founded by Nathan Marion, connects bands with nonprofit and humanitarian organizations to raise money and awareness for a myriad of social issues. Having worked with artists such as Mates of State and Mason Jennings, Marion understands the platform music has to create change—and he is channeling that to champion the cause of those less fortunate.
The Scene: Shanghai
While the 2008 Olympics provided viewers around the world a glimpse into China’s capital city of Beijing, the country’s other major metropolitan city, Shanghai, is quickly becoming a must-visit destination for the well-informed traveler. RELEVANT dishes on the best places to visit, eat and worship in this growing city of 20 million.
Nadus Films
While the ongoing tragedy taking place in Darfur may no longer be news to anyone, it is still an issue that requires our attention and action. Nadus Films is one company dedicated to continuing the efforts to raise awareness of the situation—and their new film, The New Sudan, hopes to spur a new wave of people to action.
God
Deeper Walk: Incarnation and the Downward Path
In our star-stricken, fame-driven culture, it’s easy to let aspirations of power and renown trump everything else in our lives. But, as Scott Bessenecker bluntly reminds us, “This lust for power was the first temptation and the one that toppled the human race.” Christ, he points out, faced these very same temptations—and rose above them, in obedience to the Father. He alone is the perfect model for how we should live our lives and maintain our faith in this self-focused society.
 
Life
An Inconvenient Boom
Day in and day out, we are continually bombarded with heavy issues like the environment, sex trafficking, war and poverty ... but nuclear disarmament? Not so much. And that, says Tyler Wigg-Stevenson, is something that has got to change. Wigg-Stevenson, a board member of the Global Security Institute, shares the gravity of the global nuclear situation, what Christians can do—and, most importantly, why we should care.
Surviving the Subculture
Christians often speak of living in the “Christian bubble”—but what does this bubble look like from the outside? Author Daniel Radosh, a secular Jew, shares his 10 strangest experiences in the Christian subculture (from apparel to the Bible to celebrities) and what these experiences taught him—and his discoveries will both entertain and surprise you.
 
Progressive Culture
What is Art?
A few high-profile, morally offensive examples of artwork in the past few years have led Christians to ask: What, exactly, defines art? Is artwork they find repulsive still considered art? Who decides? Jonathan Merritt seeks to answer this question, speaking with a number of authors and experts who lend their insight into discerning the black, the white and the shades of gray in between.
In the Red
A trip to Calcutta, India, served to be an eye-opening and deeply disturbing experience for Anberlin’s Stephen Christian, who writes about the victims of child trafficking he met on his trip. The unreal stories of these young victims—many 10 years old or younger—led Christian, who helped found Faceless International two years ago, to speak in frank terms about the need for all of us to be a part of the change.
The Language of Art
With almost 30 years of experience in the art scene, L.A. graffiti artist MakeOne has left his artistic stamp on countless walls—and lives. He talks to RELEVANT about the misconceptions surrounding street art, the redemptive value of his work and how his faith influences what he does.
ONLINE BONUS: Go here to view a gallery of MakeOne’s art.
Spotlights:
Tokyo Police Club, Until June, Cryptacize
Recommends
The Price of Sugar, Expelled, Iron Man, Ben Folds, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, My Brightest Diamond, Underoath, Seabird, Lykke Li, Anberlin, Voices of Sudan, It Still Moves, Coffeehouse Theology, Home, Reckless Faith, Reimagining Church, A New Kind of Conservative
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