The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 13 (p 341-358)

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 13 (p 341-358)
Crazy But Not Alone

(a) "In a world of smart bombs and military intelligence, we need more fools, holy fools who insist that the folly of the cross is wiser than any human power" (p 343).

That reminds me of Michael Card's old song, "God's Own Fool" (watch the simple revolutionary who goes before us + bonus).

Seems I've imagined Him all of my life
As the wisest of all of mankind.
But if God's Holy wisdom is foolish to men
He must have seemed out of His mind.
For even His family said He was mad
And the priests said a demon's to blame.
But God in the form of this angry young man
Could not have seemed perfectly sane.

God, keep us a little crazy. Don't let us settle back into the normal that you are delivering us from.

(b) Community of Communities (p 348): www.communityofcommunities.us. Even if you're not in an intentional community housing situation, what is your community like? What kind of support group of fools have you put together?

(c) "Because it is small like the old mustard seed, it is possible to miss the little revolution spreading across our land, cross-pollinated by an ongoing web of relationships and a common vision--of alternatives to existing worldly structures, of bartering economies, of money collectives for emergencies (instead of insurance), of prophetic interruptions to war and theft, of sustainable urban gardening and eco-energy alternatives, of using trash and wreckage of the consumptive world to create things that bring life and beauty" (p 348-349).

That is one long and beautiful sentence. For those who want to pursue this in other venues, check these out: Papa Festival, A Sustainable Faith, School(s) for Conversion, CCDA Institute, Word and World, Geez Magazine, Sojourners, SC Faith in Action and Fight with Tools.

(d) "So to the young 'uns: we have to remind ourselves to stay anchored in the church, for we need roots and wisdom" (p 353).

Charissa reminds me of St. Augustine's quote from time to time: "The church is a whore, but she's my mother" (p 354). I found that quote again today in an article by Tony Campolo--Why the Church is Important (Christianity Today, 1 May '07). It's a good article to go along with this chapter.

Why is the church (i.e., the body of Christ, the community of disciples) still important to you, even if you have a bent away from institutional religion?

(e) "We believe poverty can end even though it is all around us. We believe in peace even though we hear only rumors of war. And since we are people of expectation, we are so convinced that another world is coming that we start living as if it were already here" (p 355).

Increase our faith! (Luke 17:5)

: : :

Thanks for sharing the adventure of processing this book together.

Grace and Peace,
Jeff

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 11a (p 289-305)

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 11a (p 289-305)
Making Revolution Irresistible

(a) "I got this [burn scar] making stuff for you" (p 292).

Though not Claiborne's main point in this chapter, still you can find fair trade businesses in this pdf (published by the Fair Trade Federation) or at this site (Fair Trade Certified). These related sites may also guide you: Corporate Critic, Ethical Consumer, EthiScore, Ethical Shopping and Get Ethical. Or learn to sew like Shane.

Production and trade aren't necessarily bad, whether local or (maybe even) international. They just need to be done in a fair manner with respect to all parties and the planet. Once every four years, (some) U.S. citizens vote in the presidential election. But we vote for the world of tomorrow with every dollar spent. Will it be fair trade or indifferent? Organic or carcinogenic? Win-win or win-lose?

(b) "There are times when injustice will take us to the streets and might land us in jail, but it is our love for God and our neighbor--not our rage or our arrogance--that counts" (p 293).

What issues take you to the streets? In the midst of protest, are you able to embody love and peace, or do rage and arrogance take over?

From a different perspective, Rob Bell talks about what we do with our anger in Store. Do I use it to make the world a better place like Jesus did (Mark 3:5)? Or do I get destructive?

The words of Kaj Munk on pages 294/5 fit this concept brilliantly.

(c) "Just as 'believers' are a dime a dozen in the church, so are 'activists' in social justice circles nowadays. But lovers are hard to come by. And I think that's what our world is desperately in need of--lovers, people who are building deep, genuine relationships with fellow strugglers along the way, and who actually know the faces of the people behind the issues..." (p 295).

Am I a believer? What do I believe about God and justice? Am I an activist? What actions and what attitudes will achieve the results God desires? Am I a lover? Of whom? Why? Who else needs my love today? How do healthy boundaries help me love more completely?

(d) View the life of Immokalee Workers (p 298-300). That cheap produce in the grocery store suddenly doesn't look so appealing. The answer isn't to stop eating it, but to help those harvesting it for us to get what they need. Our wage scales (both in the U.S. and for multinational corporations) may be legal, but God has a different perspective.

Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. (James 5:4-5)

(e) "Degrees of separation allow us to destroy human beings we do not know except as the enemy" (p 304).

Smart bombs keep war de-personalized. "We have guided missiles and misguided men" (Chris Blake, Swimming against the Current, p 109).

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. 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

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 7a (p 191-204)

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 7a (p 191-204)
Pledging Allegiance when Kingdoms Collide

(a) "They had lost all faith in the empire and had become faithful to God alone as the one who could preserve peace and prosperity" (p 196).

What do I believe, really believe, brings peace and prosperity? Democracy? Communism? Free markets? State-controlled economies? Democrats? Republicans? Theocracy? Anarchism? Cooperation? Competition? Military? Diplomacy? More education? More laws? More dichotomies? Meditation? Activism? The President? Jesus? (not listed in any particular order)

And whose peace and prosperity am I concerned about? Mine? My neighbors'? My blood relatives'? My country's? Westerners'? Humanity's?

About the role of government, we read:

Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. (Romans 13:2-4)

So government has a role that God has instituted. Yet we do look forward to the ultimate fulfillment of this promise, understanding that in some mystical way the kingdom of God is now, is inside of us now:

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

And the rub, the point of this chapter, is when they're opposed. Then we read:

Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men!" (Acts 5:29)

Nazi soldiers should have disobeyed their unjust commands. All soldiers must disobey unjust commands. As citizens of heaven before citizens of a given country on earth, we must disobey laws and commands that contradict the laws of our true kingdom. No one can stand in the judgment and say, "But I was following orders." The response will be, "You weren't following MY orders. You belong to the king you claim, not Me." Am I committed to obeying God? How much time am I spending in the Bible each day to learn what it is He's calling me to?

Let me take this opportunity to shout out Centurion's Purse.

(b) "A people longing for a savior placed their faith in the fragile hand of human logic and military strength, which have always let us down. They have always fallen short of the glory of God" (p 199).

This takes me back to high school when I listened to a certain heavy metal band (You take a mortal man and put him in control...). Though Megadeth probably also falls short of the glory of God. This quote also makes me think of War Made Easy.

(c) "Jesus offers a new vision of family" (p 200).

If my mother, father or sister were starving, I'd find a way to help them. I wouldn't stop until their needs were met. If it was only about money, I sure wouldn't buy a nicer ride while they were suffering. But then I realize I lie, because they are.

Do I care as much for each citizen who dies in Iraq (30,000, 50,000, 90,000, 151,000, 655,000???) as I do for those who died in the towers on September 11, 2001 (2,974)?

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
(Matthew 6:9-10)

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 4a (p 91-103)

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 4a (p 91-103)
When Comfort Becomes Uncomfortable

(1) "I had been doing a study whose central premise was that rather than waiting around for God's special plan for your life, you should just go find where God is at work and join in" (p 93). What do you think? How does this fit your experience and biblical understanding?

(2) "He [Shane's roommate in the ROTC] explained to me that he did not believe Christians should go to war" (p 95). This is such a loaded topic. State: kill our enemies. Jesus: love your enemies. That's pretty hard to reconcile. Derek Webb has a great line, "I would rather die than to take your life. How can I kill the ones I'm supposed to love" (My Enemies are Men Like Me). I think this issue raises how closely we align ourselves with a given state or government as opposed to the government of God.

It's clear to a majority of folks, I would imagine, that Nazi soldiers should have disobeyed their leaders. They had a moral obligation not to commit genocide just because their leaders wanted them to. What seems less clear is how closely Christians in countries around the world should place their lives, hopes and futures in the armies of their respective governments. What would happen if the millions of Christians around the world refused to fight their secular government's battles? What if rather we embraced and lived non-violent social action? What if we refused to kill the ones we're supposed to love?

Even if you embrace a "just war" theory, how many of those have you seen in the past 100 years? We'll get back to this topic again. Developing a "consistent ethic of life" demands that we revisit and wrestle with this.

For those looking for thoughts on becoming a conscientious objector, click here--Wikipedia or Mennonite Central Committee.

(3) "So I learned not to be so quick to judge" (p 101). I'm still working on this one. Any stories of when you quickly judged someone incorrectly, or when you withheld judgment and were glad you had?

(4) "Jesus never says to the poor, 'Come find the church,' but he says to those of us in the church, 'Go into the world and find the poor, hungry, homeless, imprisoned,' Jesus in his disguises" (p 102). I rarely do this. I read about doing this. I talk about doing this. When have you gone?

[we'll finish ch 4 next week]