On Vox: Lessons in loving from a "theological prankster"
Dream big
Live small
Love loudly
Those are the words with which Shane signed my copy of The Irresistible Revolution (and I imagine this is his usual practice at signings).
I had first heard of Shane Claiborne a couple years ago when CT did an article featuring him as the face of "The New Monasticism", a movement of communities and houses (usually in the inner-city, often in bad neighborhoods) that pool their resources to serve and love the poor in radical ways. This article made enough of an impression on me, that when I discovered that Shane was scheduled to be in Jackson and would be visiting Nomads last month, I made plans to be there, purchasing a copy of his book in advance to get it signed. Actually, I met up with two of my siblings an hour early for a cup of joe as we awaited Shane's arrival (for some reason we thought the crowd would gather early... but actually everyone else mostly trickled in minutes before it was to start).
The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical
Shane Claiborne I wasn't disappointed. He was radical in a good way... we need people like Claiborne to wake us up. (two quick examples of ideas I pick up from him)...
- Americanism / patriotism (as it is often expressed) can be problematic for the evangelical church. George Bush is not Jesus... or the devil. Claiborne was heartbroken with the way that Evangelicals supported our military action uncritically after 9/11. We need to recover the gospel as our main focus and be wary of the deceptiveness of politics.
- When it comes to poverty, charity (as practiced in our country) can actually be part of the problem in that it serves to help rich /middle class people feel good about themselves but does nothing about the layers of insulation between rich and poor. The poor are real people that are worth getting to know!
It struck me that this isn't just a guy who uses theological / biblical reasoning to support a social justice / gospel agenda (as some might expect people who take similar positions as Claiborne on political issues). He is a guy who is seriously in love with God and in love with people and lives accordingly in simple ways. Social justice, for Claiborne, is not about "issues"... it is about people. People that are important and valuable in God's sight.
For the uninitiated, Shane is a part of a community called The Simple Way , in Philadelphia. He (and others with him) have lived simply, in friendship and solidarity with the vast number of people in the area who live in poverty. He has spent nights sleeping on the streets with the homeless (and been jailed for doing so in places where sleeping in public was made illegal). He went to Bagdad as a Christian peacemaker just before the US invaded Iraq, spending a great deal of time praying, laughing, and worshiping with the people there (many of whom appear to have been living in fear of both Saddam Hussein and the invading forces... i.e. our great nation). He crashed the 1998 Republican National Convention (quoting Scripture at the top of his lungs), and actually participated in a boycott of Taco Bell (despite his love for chalupas) in support of the neglected migrant workers who harvested the veggies yet were basically treated like farm equipment. And that just scratches the surface of the adventures the reader encounters in the pages of this book. Some of these antics have led Shane and his friends to be labeled "theological pranksters," a label he seems happy enough to embrace.
It isn't totally necessary to read the entire book to get an idea of this man's passion (although it is mostly a worthwhile read). A sample chapter (probably one of the best... and does stand alone pretty well) is available for free online. You may (or may not) agree with everything he has to say... but his radical love is very contagious and his voice is worth hearing. And we do desperately need an alternative to materialistic "pop Christianity"...what does it mean to live as an "ordinary radical"? For me at least, this is a reminder of my need to declutter my life and refocus on loving God and others. Perhaps I'll have to try some theological pranks myself someday.....
Originally posted on krateo.vox.com