I've been reading Shane Claiborne's The Irresistible Revolution and have been completely captivated by it. In college, Shane spent a summer working with Mother Theresa in Calcutta only to return to the US and begin an internship with Willow Creek. While he does support and respect the work of Willow Creek tremendously, it was still quite a culture shock for him. And it's interesting to read that perspective. For the past few years, Shane has lived communally in inner city Philadelphia in a house with other Christians. They regularly open up their home to those who need a place to stay for the night. They share all money, all resources.

Shane writes on many, many issues: living in simplicity, peace, how we should spend money, politics, and what it really means to love our neighbor. The subtitle of the book is living as an ordinary radical. And what he's doing is so completely radical. This book was so inspiring to me. Even moreso then, lest i say it, Blue Like Jazz.

There's so many encounters he has that speak volumes about our understanding of who God is. When the US began the invasion of Iraq in 2003, he traveled to Iraq with a group of peacemakers to be with the families there. They attended Christian church services. The last service they attended was full of emotion. As they were leaving, Shane said to the bishop, "I was surprised to see so many Christians in Iraq." And the bishop looked at him a little strangely and said, "You forget that this is where it all began." And Shane realized, and I realized, Christianity is not American. Have even I been socialized to believe that is true?

He talks about how we are not called to live a counter-culturally, but that we are called to create an alternative culture. For me, that line stood out from the page.

He talks about how the world always confuses Christianity. How maybe Satan met Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before his death while he was praying to his Father. Maybe Satan again taunted Jesus, "They don't understand your cross, Jesus. They will never understand your cross." Maybe this was the last temptation of Christ.

Anyway--all that said--buy the book. You will be challenged on the way you live, they way you buy, and the way you believe.

posted by Kelly @ 8:21:00 AM