Each time I visit Chicago, I try to make a stop at
Intelligentsia Coffee. I first discovered Intelligentsia through my friends
Doug and Randy who just started a media production company in Chicago called
Advocate Creative. Doug introduced me to the coffee, but then, another friend
introduced me to an actual Intelligentsia coffee shop.
What’s so special about Intelligentsia? Well, there is a
degree of showmanship, and science that appealed to the analytical chemist in
me. As I started my career, I worked as an analytical chemist at MylanPharmaceuticals, and so my world was filled with extractions, beakers, flasks,
and balances. Believe it or not,
Intelligentsia is similar.
When they are brewing a cup of coffee, they use a pour over
method for brewing to optimize extraction of flavor. The average pour over
takes approximately 3.5 minutes to complete, and uses a specific weight of
water and coffee (they literally pour the water over coffee grounds on a scale.
They heat water to 210 degrees, and begin the pour over knowing that after
filtration the brewed coffee will be at about 185-190 degrees.
Their shop is filled with coffee mugs, filters, beakers, and
flasks, and no matter how you slice it, they brew a pretty incredible and
flavorful cup of coffee. If you like
coffee and find yourself in downtown Chicago, I suggest giving them a try. And
if you go on Tuesday, you can buy a bag of their coffee for $2 off and get a
free cup brewed as well. I typically like my coffee with half and half or heavy
whipping cream, but Intelligentsia is so rich and flavorful, that I enjoying
drinking it without any additions.
Recently, my friend Doug Scott, the former creative officer
for Nuru International, and the founder of the Chicago based media firm,
Advocate Creative told me about a project he was working on. Doug and I became
friends through Nuru back in 2008, and thankfully, he and his team are still
actively involved in creating incredible videos, and other media for Nuru. Now
though, by forming Advocate Creative he and his team are able to work on a more
diverse array of projects.
One of his team’s more recent projects is the video embedded
in this blog post. It is a short teaser video to promote a new book by a guy
named John Ortberg who leads a church in Menlo Park, California. By the way,
John and his wife Nancy, are both very talented authors and passionate
supporters of Nuru’s work as well. Both John and Nancy have written a number of
books, and all are quite good, but this one has become extra special since one
of my good friends was involved in the process of promoting the book.
To start, I have to admit that, had my friend Doug not
encouraged me to check it out, I probably would not have read this book. There
are about 1500 books written each year about the life of Jesus, and very few
are saying anything really new. Besides, just like many others, my life is
pretty busy, and when I read a book, I want it to be a worthwhile use of my
time. I want the book to be something that will be formative, and maybe help me
be a better human being.
I ordered a copy of this book, Who Is This Man?, online, and when it arrived,
one of the first things I noticed was the litany of blurbs about the book. Many
authors and theologians who I deeply respect and appreciate had written a
snippet about the value they saw in what Ortberg’s book had to say. People as
diverse as Dallas Willard, N. T. Wright, and Shaine Claiborne had good things
to say about this book, and remarkably, former US Secretary of State,
Condoleezza Rice wrote the foreword to the book.
But the book didn’t stop being quality at the end of the
foreword. In fact, the array of comments had served the author and the book
well by building a solid foundation from which to build and move forward. The book is not an apologetic for Jesus being
God. It is not a book that lays out steps to salvation or anything like that.
It is more of an examination of the truly unpredictable impact that Jesus has
had in the twenty centuries since his life.
Chapter after chapter, Ortberg sets the stage for what was
considered normative at the time of Jesus, and how Jesus’ life has shaped for
generations from then to now what values we tend to admire, how we treat
others, and even how we have arrived at some of the systems we have today, like
our education system.
I am really tempted to go into detail regarding some of the
key insights of each chapter, but I don’t want to give too much away for you. I
will say this. John Ortberg lifts up historical context around many of Jesus’
stories told in the gospels that allow us to see how truly profound his
statements and teachings were. He also builds a compelling case that Jesus,
through a relatively short period of time in his life was able to exert more
influence on the way we live and think today than any person before him and
really any person since.
If you enjoy historical biography, or if you want to learn
more about the life and legacy of Jesus of Nazareth in a concise format, I
highly recommend this book. I found it to be inspiring and life giving as I
pursue this life of faith in Jesus the Messiah. It made me want to pour over
scriptures with renewed vigor to study the life and example of how Jesus lived
his life, and to work more zealously to live this life as He would live it, to
live my life in service for others, and to truly love my neighbors.
May you enjoy your reading of this short book that
illustrates some of the profound and unpredictable impact of the life of Jesus.
I know I certainly did.
What’s so special about Intelligentsia? Well, there is a
degree of showmanship, and science that appealed to the analytical chemist in
me. As I started my career, I worked as an analytical chemist at MylanPharmaceuticals, and so my world was filled with extractions, beakers, flasks,
and balances. Believe it or not,
Intelligentsia is similar.
