For our first week of discussion, we're going to focus on the three intro sections. I can't comment on all of the parts I underlined in my book, so I'll pick a few of my favorites.
Speak your voice by (a) responding to my questions here or the general questions, (b) adding your own questions, (c) offering your thoughts and stories related to the reading, or (d) doing whatever creative thing you need to do. Let's roll...
FORWARD (Jim Wallis)
(1) "...experimenting with the gospel..." (p 11). I like this idea--experimenting. There are all kinds of ways to live and share the good news of peace and reconciliation and of a God who still cares. "Taste and see that the Lord is good" (Ps. 34:8). In what ways are you and your community experimenting with the gospel?
"The monologue of the religious right is finally over, and a fresh dialogue has begun; it's a conversation about how to apply faith to social justice, and it is springing up across the land" (p 14). Thanks for being part of this growing conversation.
INTRODUCTION (Shane Claiborne)
(2) "But most Christian artists and preachers have remained strangely distant from human suffering..." (p 17). Include me in that. Most of my awareness of pain in the world comes from books and documentaries. Only in the past couple of years have I had to really face pain and disappointment (physically and emotionally) in my own life. These experiences are starting to open my eyes and ears to the needs around me. For example, I didn't really care about the health insurance issue in the U.S. until my wife and I were either sick or laid off. Homelessness starting meaning something completely different when we had to turn to friends and family to have a place to stay.
I recently watched Jared Diamond's the three-part documentary, Guns, Germs and Steel. He spent the whole time talking academically about these powerful forces that have shaped human history. He could talk abstractly about brutal wars and devastating illnesses, but when he actually saw the kids with malaria, he just broke down. What was your most recent contact with human suffering?
(3) "But rarely do we see that the sickness of the world has infected each of us..." The world's apathy isn't as big of a problem as my apathy. Ending the world's greed isn't as crucial as ending mine by moving from accumulation to generosity. This reminds me of G. K. Chesterton's response to the question, "What is wrong with the world today." He said simply, "I am."
(4) "...the giant triplets of evil: racism, militarism, and materialism" (p 26). Now that's an axis of evil. Which of these are you most passionate about ending? Any stories?
AUTHOR'S NOTE
(5) "We are all bound up in the filthy system, and if you find yourself particularly bound, take courage, you will then have more grace as you liberate others" (p 31-32). How are we bound up in it? I just deleted a list of ways; it felt burdensome. If you feel like you're not bound up in it, then either you have some great sustainable living ideas that you need to share in the comments section, or you don't yet realize the ramifications of the previously mentioned evil triumvirate. Let's keep talking.
And let's keep showing grace. There are few things more annoying than self-righteous environmentalists, religionists and social activists. May grace be in our conversations with each other here and with those we encounter daily as we "speak the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15). May we even find grace for the proud and annoying (cause it just might be me).
What say you?
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