Standing at the intersection of tech and reality.

[Phillip Huffman]

Fellow techies, I need counsel. I've chosen you because you understand the value of technology and many of you have considered it as a potential tool both for man's benefit and also God's glory. I'd like to get your thoughts on which directions I should look to go professionally.

First though, let me present the situation.

I still haven't chosen a life time profession. My bachelor's is in theology, which is great but my ministry is somewhere along the lines of advanced technology.

First, here's a broad view of my spirit/mind:
I enjoy my relationship with Lord Jesus. I enjoy working with my brothers and sister in Christ. I love giving and receiving good, earnest counsel and discussing matters of tech, spirit and government. I also enjoy technology and and applying it. I don't really enjoy solving peoples computer problems, especially when it's the same basic problems over and over. I also don't really enjoy dealing with the technophobes and their foolishness. ... I actually enjoy just about all science related things, I think it's because I see my Lord's handwork in it.
Some of my continual requests before the Lord are: 1. a heart that, like King David's is 'after His own', 2. to be a friend to God as He said that Abraham was, walking continually with him and 3. wisdom, as He gave to Solomon, not that of this world but Father's own wisdom, and with it understanding and knowledge.
My mother used to tell me that I could do anything I wanted to if I put my mind to it, which is standard parental exhortation, but then I read what God said about the people at the tower of Babel and realized she wasn't just making it up. In short, I know that I have the potential to do anything I choose to, not only because God has given mankind that creative potential, but also because I, being a child of the Most High God by adoption, have direct unlimited access to His good will and generosity.

So, with that kind of thinking I've been working on these projects and have made progress:

1. Machine Intelligence
- actual intelligent, thinking, potentially self-aware robots, the focus is on the intelligence, not the robotics
2. 3D printing
- FDM, building SLA printer right now, as a tool for robotics dev.
3. Game Programming
- creating games which incorporate biblical principals and present the true consequences of common false ideals
4. Threat Analysis and Preparation - realistic risk evaluation of natural and man-made threats and coupled with mitigation strategies and implementation including cyber defense
5. Business - turning the many projects into a family work that provides needed income so that we can focus on things that achieve real good and glorify God.

You could also throw actual robotics and various DIY projects in there. On top of those I also have an interest in micro chip design and fabrication, Swarm Robotics, Biotech (I hear it's becoming hobby level now) and a few other fun things.

As you've probably guessed, my mind is a busy place. Add to this the fact that I'm married and trying to establish a strong family foundation centered on loving God and His Word.

I've presented all this so you can get a picture of what I'm trying to deal with.
Now, like I said, I don't have a clearly defined profession. I'm probably going to be moving and changing jobs soon and I don't even know what I want to look for.

Your thoughts brothers and sisters?

 

[Paul of Eugene OR]

We cannot advise you - the job for which God is preparing you has probably not been give a job title familiar to the rest of us.

 

[Winken]

I was a Professor in Christian college. Students constantly pleaded for God to show them His will. My response always was, "He knows you, you know Him. You are smack in the middle of His will." Watch for Him to move, lovingly, not too long from now. Blessings upon you and your family.

 

[null_void]

I'm not sure whether or not you're interested in my perspective, as I'm an atheist and likely have some differing opinions on the theological aspects of your question. Additionally, career advice is probably not something one can easily dispense over the internet without knowing you. I can, however, offer a small amount of advice concerning game programming specifically, as that is my own profession. I will attempt to do so with religious outreach in mind, since that seems to be your goal.

As I'm sure you're aware, there have been a fair number of religiously motivated video games created over the past decade or two. Most of them, unfortunately, do not meet the bar necessary to be considered quality pieces of work. This isn't for lack of trying. Mostly, I think, it is because the creators of such games ignore the fact that video games are played primarily for entertainment. Successful games with an educational component usually draw the player in and present material in a way that makes the user retain and apply it in a non-contrived way.

This, I think, would be key to making a successful religious game. Not only that, but I suspect that it's a rather untapped market at the moment which relates directly to point #5 in your list. But the problem is in how to do it. If video game design was easy, if anyone at all could whip up a game on demand that was actually fun, there would be a lot fewer failed game companies. My suspicion is that the way to approach it would be to hire (or become) a good writer. Create a compelling narrative which happens to teach the values that you want, that people actually want to play. That way you'd be likely to draw in not only the peolpe who already understand the lesson you're trying to teach, but those who may not have been exposed to it. But if your game isn't interesting in its own right, your product will never find purchase in the marketplace. And then you have marketing and user aquisition to deal with, but that's a completely separate topic.

As for game programming itself, where you begin probably depends on how competent you already are. There are plenty of self-taught programmers. In fact, those who spend time working on their own projects tend to be stronger in the field than those who simply have an education in computer science (though it does help to some degree). If you don't have much experience programming, work on some projects yourself. Find a friend who is a good software engineer and have them review your code. Take their advice to heart, and try not to take their criticism too harshly. Learn best practices and code with maintenance in mind.

If all of that sounds fun, #3 is probably the way to go. If not, you might want to choose one of the other options on your list.

Good luck!

 

[Phillip Huffman]

Thank you, all, for your input and I'd be glad to receive more!
Responding in order of posting:

@Paul of Eugene OR ,
See, that's kinda how I feel when I try to evaluate what I've got. Since none of the projects are yet profitable in a way that pays bills, I'm stuck finding other work which takes away time from what's important.

@Winken ,
The waiting, always the challenge isn't it? But you are quite right, I can trust that God will provide indeed. I wouldn't have thought that I was able to grasp the machine intelligence tech but God put the right article in my way at the right time to challenge me to try.

@null_void ,
You've hit the game issue on the head. I've seen some of those so-called 'christian games' and they do indeed have exactly that problem - they look feel and smell like a propaganda push, rather than a fun challenging or interesting pass time that would attract most game players. Many educational games suffer from a similar weakness. There are plenty of successful games however that, intentionally or not, promote one set of ideals over another. My personal view on these kinds of things is, make the journey enjoyable and let the lessons be found in reflection. And yeah, I would have to work on following best practices better - I'm definitely in the 'amature' range.