The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 10

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 10
Extremists for Love

(a) John Perkins and Christian Community Development Association (CCDA). Of John's various books, I most want to read Let Justice Roll Down, Beyond Charity and Linking Arms, Linking Lives. Check out the CCDA Institute.

What would you ask John if you were sitting across the table from him?

(b) The story about the Iraqi lady on page 277 is just crazy. Who do I need to see twice a month (or more frequently) to gain a little perspective?

(c) "It is this third way, Wink writes, that teaches that 'evil can be opposed without being mirrored... oppressors can be resisted without being emulated... enemies can be neutralized without being destroyed'" (p 280).

That quote from The Powers That Be is further developed in Jesus and Nonviolence: A Third Way. Excellent little book.

How's my imagination? What new solutions are just beyond our mental horizons?

(d) "The only thing harder than war is peace. The only thing that takes more work, tears, and sweat than division is reconciliation. But what more beautiful things could we devote our lives to?" (p 285).

What reconciliation has God helped you achieve? With Him, friends, family, enemies, the planet, ideologies, etc.? What reconciliation is needed next?

This ministry of reconciliation we've been given is beautiful--2 Corinthians 5:18.

(e) "I was able to be the face of another kind of Christian extremist, another ordinary radical ready for a revolution that dances and laughs" (p 288).

What kind of Christianity am I the face of? How close to The Way is my "brand"? In what ways has God been making my "version" closer to reality? What inconsistencies are most pressing for an upgrade?

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 9

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 9 (p 243-266)
Jesus Is for Losers

(a) "The church is a place where we can stand up and say we are wretched, and everyone will nod and agree and remind us that we are also beautiful" (p 245).

A week ago three of us visited Mars Hill and met a young lady flying solo. Our new gang of four ended up sharing communion while briefly sharing our personal stories that need Jesus' last word. It was really powerful for me; the embodiment of this quote. The sermon will be online for a few weeks. I highly recommend giving it a listen.

(b) "Many of us want the same things. We want the world to be rid of evil. We want justice. We want to liberate the oppressed. The question is, How do we do that?" (p 247). This quote is given in the context of the parable Jesus told about letting the weeds and wheat grow up together (Matthew 13). Pulling up the weeds may kill the wheat at the same time.

So how do we do these grand things--liberate, bring justice, etc.?

And who are the weeds that need pulled? Is it the capitalists or the communists? Is it the Republicans or the Democrats? Is it the religious fundamentalists or the atheists? Is it the multinational corporation CEO or the single welfare mother?

Everyone has a different "weed" they want to pluck. If we each try to pull our favorite weed, won't we all be torn down by someone? So Jesus said, let it grow; don't call down fire from heaven on everyone you disagree with. Teach and live love as you understand it. The Holy Spirit is working on every heart, to bring it to the side of love. Use no violent means of weeding the garden. God will divide the two groups with His wisdom and love when the time is right. And we must remember that today's weed (Saul) may be tomorrow's wheat (Paul), so we can't give up on anyone. We shouldn't attack someone just because we label them a weed today.

So this partially answers the "how" question. With love. With forgiveness. With passion. With effort. With words. With reason and rationality. With self sacrifice. With kindness and goodness. With generosity. With the other cheek. With humility. With the Holy Spirit. With help. With a vision for a better world based on cooperation and community. With the understanding that God is the gardener, not me.

The subsequent pages describe this in positive detail (p 247 - 252).

(c) "We will hurt no one... We will love evildoers, even if it costs us our lives. And then we will see evildoers become extremists for grace. This is the story of our faith" (p 253-254).

How well am I playing my part in the "story of our faith"?

(d) "We know that we cannot do life alone, and the good news is that we don't have to. We are created for community" (p 254).

I am thankful for the people that are becoming our community in this new place. In addition to living it, I'd also like to read these books about community: Deep Economy, School(s) for Conversion, Organic Community, The Small Community, The Community of the Future, and Plan C (each considering community from a different perspective).

(e) "Dear God, liberate us from the logic of redemptive violence" (p 261).

The Shining Lady story sets up the Timothy McVeigh account well. Of all the stories in this book, I think I share this one about Timothy, Bud and Julie the most. Amazing.

(f) "There is something scandalous about grace. It's almost embarrassing that God loves losers so much" (p 262-263).

I start to squirm a bit when I feel moved to pray, "Jesus teach me to love like you do." Okay, more than a bit.

(g) "When we look through the eyes of Jesus, we see new things in people. In the murderers, we see our own hatred. In the addicts, we see our own addictions. In the saints, we catch glimpses of our own holiness. We can see our own brokenness, our own violence, our own ability to destroy, and we can see our own sacredness, our own capacity to love and forgive. When we realize that we are both wretched and beautiful, we are freed up to see others the same way" (p 264).

This just might be the most important paragraph in the book. May we spend some significant time meditating on this one paragraph alone. And then the next one. And...

(h) "When we have new eyes, we can look into the eyes of those we don't even like and see the One we love" (p 266).

Jesus, give me new eyes. Who do I need to look at again for the first time today?

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 7b (p 204-222)

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 7b (p 204-222)
Pledging Allegiance when Kingdoms Collide

(a) I think it is powerful when parents of those killed in brutal tragedies choose to end the cycle of violence. Bob McIlvaine is a brilliant example (p 204). We'll be getting another story soon. Could I forgive if something horrible like this happened to a family member of mine? How willing am I to forgive the smaller grievances I face now?

Peaceful Tomorrows
Voices in the Wilderness
Christian Peacemaker Teams

(b) "Essentially, I went to Iraq because I believe in a God of scandalous grace. I have pledged allegiance to a King who loved evildoers so much he died for them, teaching us that there is something worth dying for but nothing worth killing for" (p 207).

What is important enough to me to die for? Would I really never resort to killing? But I am taught that hatred and murder are both evil (Matthew 5:21-22, loose interpretation). Do I have hatred festering in my life that I need to resolve? What is the first step to healing that I can take?

Pages 207-208 just blow me away. As do 204-207 and... okay, most things in this book.

(c) The story of the worship service and conversation with the bishop on pages 212 and 213 are so beautiful. How badly Christians in the U.S. need to embrace the wisdom of this bishop. Why are we so eager to embrace war as an effective means for creating a better world? War Made Easy

(d) Physicians are a bright spot in violence. Soldiers try to kill each other, but as soon as someone is hurt, doctors move in to help regardless of which side the injured person is on. It's great to see this kindness in Iraq as well. Long live Doctors without Borders. Long live the Rutba House.

(e) "Revolutionary subordination exposes the evils of power and violence without mirroring them, by gently allowing them to destroy themselves and then rising above the ruins" (p 217).

As Martin Luther King Jr. said, "nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral question of our time - the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to violence and oppression" (Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech).

How do I respond to the little evils done to me in everyday life--the comments, gestures or actions that set me off?

(f) "Too often we just do what makes sense to us and ask God to bless it" (p 219).

The remedy Shane presents are the Beatitudes. Am I the kind of person God blesses--poor, peacemaker, merciful, etc.? What am I doing for the hungry and mournful around me? Do I have time for them, to bless them in some way?

(g) "Rebirth means that we have a new paradigm of 'us' and 'them.' Our central identity is no longer biological. And our central allegiance is no longer national" (p 221).

This is so important. The relevance of this is just barely beginning to creep into my understanding. In the words of Derek Webb (King and a Kingdom, Mockingbird):

my first allegiance is not to a flag, a country, or a man
my first allegiance is not to democracy or blood
it's to a king & a kingdom