I'm an ordinary radical?

I’ve decided I want my next post to be a book review. I’ve been reading The Irresistible Revolution: living as an ordinary radical by Shane Claiborne and I can’t put it down. I’ll start by giving you some quotations from the books so you can get a feeling for it. These are also quotations that really spoke to me.

Over and over, when I ask God why all of these injustices are allowed to exist in the world. I can feel the Spirit whisper to me, “You tell me why we allow this to happen. You are my body, my hands, my feet.” (65)
This just makes me want to cry. How many times do we almost boast as Christians about being the hands and feet of Jesus one minute and the next we’re struggling, blaming God and asking him why he allows horrible things to happen in our world? Why doesn’t he just snap his fingers and make everything better. It’s because I’m that finger. And it’s my job to snap, to jump to action and do God’s will and work in this broken world.

As my teacher, Tony Campolo used to ask, “Even if there were no heaven and there were no hell, would you still follow Jesus? Would you follow him for the life, joy, and fulfillment he gives you right now?” (117)
As I was reading this book I kept thinking that this is the Christianity I’ve been searching for my whole life. I wonder how much stronger and secure in my progressive thoughts I would be if I was introduced to this Christianity my whole life. I used to ask people this question when I was younger. Most people in my church didn’t understand. I claimed that I didn’t care if the whole Jesus thing was a host, the joy and fulfillment that knowing Christ brings to my life is worth the possibility that I may be a fool.

So it’s important to understand that redistribution comes from community, not before community. Redistribution is not a prescription for community. Redistribution is a description of what happens when people fall in love with each other across class lines. (163)
Classism is an ism in our world with which I have the most trouble grappling. It’s so hard for me to not judge people (especially Christians) who are so fiscally conservative. Who think they’re entitled to their money. Now of course this is true to a certain degree, but if you claim to believe in Christ and try to follow in his footsteps then how can you sleep at night with all your money knowing there are people who die of starvation everyday. I know that’s a harsh statement and I know it’s a complicated issue. But I strongly believe that when people see other people as their brothers and sisters in Christ and get to know those people, they will not be able to resist the intense desire to make sure their basic needs are met.

… in the Lord’s Prayer … we are taught to pray for our daily bread. (To pray for “my” daily bread is a desecration; we are to pray for “our” daily bread, for all of us.) Over and over, we hear the promise that if we take only what we need, there will be enough. (170)
I think about all the food that is wasted in our society; from restaurants and family homes alike. Live simply so that others may simply live.

There are so many signs of hope, dear friends, and not just within the Christian underground. The crazy thing is that we are beginning to make sense; ordinary radicals are all around us. So we mustn’t allow ourselves to detach from the church in a self-righteous cynicism. That’s too easy and too empty. To those communities that have severed themselves from the established church, please build a bridge, for the church needs your prophetic voice. We can do more together than we can do alone. (354)
This pretty much sums up the reason I’m so passionate about going to seminary and becoming a minister. It’s silly, but I know I won’t be taken seriously by a lot of Christians unless I’ve been to seminary. I also want to be a part of the church and help to revitalize it and break the stereotypes and stigmas (ha) that surround Christianity. It won’t help to detach myself from the church and strike out on my own. I need to embrace the community that gives so much to help it discover a way to mend its brokenness.

Welcome to the irresistible revolution, a new and ancient way of life that is so attractive, who would settle for anything else? Welcome to the revolution of little people, guerrilla peacemakers, and dancing prophets, the revolution that loves and laughs. The revolution begins inside each of us, and through little acts of love, it will take over the world. Let us begin to be Christians again. Jesus, give us the course. (356)
What could be better than that?