World Building

Photo is Copyright 2008 by J.R. Blackwell, and is used by permission.

Hi there! Chris Lester is the name, but you probably already knew that from the URL.

I am a writer, podcaster, musician, armchair philosopher, and frustrated scientist. (I was hoping to be a mad scientist when I grew up, but “frustrated” is as close as I’ve gotten in recent years.)

I live in Berkeley, California. I grew up in Metro Detroit, but three years of grad school in beautiful Santa Cruz ruined me for the Midwest, and I escaped back to Cali as soon as circumstances permitted. I’m now working as a biology teacher at a charter school in Oakland.

I’m a Christian who is probably closer to the “emergent church” than anything else: disillusioned with the self-perpetuating stagnation of the modern church, suspicious of those who would set themselves in authority over others, and seeing God’s interaction with humanity as an ongoing story that God offers us the opportunity to take part in. I believe that my primary purpose for being on this Earth is to reflect God’s compassionate heart to the people around me, to make the world a better place in whatever practical ways are within my power. Anything that claims to constitute Christian belief or Christian practice that runs counter to this essential mission is something that deserves to be examined, critiqued, and possibly rejected. Truth may well be absolute, perfect, and objective, but our human capacity to grasp truth is none of these things.

Politically I am neither “left”, nor “right”, nor “centrist.” The classical labels that have been so long in popular use are utterly inadequate to describe any but the most stereotypical viewpoints. “Pragmatic libertarian” may be the label that comes closest to reflecting my outlook: I prefer to see government be as little involved in people’s affairs as possible, but I also recognize that there are some areas in which human beings simply cannot be trusted to behave in a responsible and neighborly manner, and some areas in which organized, public action is simply better suited to addressing our shared objectives. I identify strongly with Abraham Lincoln’s assertion that government should do only those things that it can do better than private citizens — and would add, furthermore, that it is not the place of government to make moral judgments on the lives of said citizens, except in so far as they attempt to cause harm to another.

This site is my place to air my thoughts on anything and everything that isn’t related to Metamor City, my primary writing project. I plan to post some of my fiction here, as well.

Enjoy your visit!

Fast Facts about Chris:

Date of Birth: 19 May 1979
Height: 6′3″
Hair: Dark Brown
Eyes: Blue-Gray
Ethnic Heritage: English, Welsh (probably), German, Italian, Native American
Meaning of Given Name: Christ-Bearer
Meaning of Family Name: Fortress of Leir (mythical king of the Britons; named after Llyr, Welsh god of the sea)
Personality Profile: INFJ (Introverted, iNtuitive, Feeling, Judging)
Favorite Book (Fiction): “Speaker for the Dead”, by Orson Scott Card
Favorite Book (Non-Fiction): “A Generous Orthodoxy”, by Brian D. McLaren
Favorite Song: “World on Fire”, by Sarah McLachlan
Favorite Bible Verse: “He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does Yahweh require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

Places I’ve been:

visited 31 states (62%)
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