I’ve begun to read a book this week called Irresistable Revolution by Shane Claibourne. It has been an experience of challenging my faith and my concept of church. I am beginning to see something different and begining to appreciate even more the scriptural text.
Shane and a group of Christians live together in a community called Simple Way they live within one of the most impoverish area in a particular state (I really forget where I think it is Chicago?). Their lifestyle is drawn with Jesus’ teaching of what it means to care and love the poor. I admire that a whole lot because that is something as a suburbanite is hard to chew. I think as I walk around and as I look around myself the glamour and the beauty of the things we have is just incredible. There is so much STUFF. Shane explains that in his experience he has gone and worked with Mother Teresa (he called her Momma T which I thought was really cool) in one of the most poorest area in the world. He’s come back and kept that zeal for the love of the poor and found people still lonly eventhough they have much.
I live in that world… the second of the worlds. People have much but yet are lonely. Poor not in material but poor in other areas. It is strange today as I was walking in a mall today during lunch time and as I was walking around I was struggling a whole lot with the STUFF around me. The social issues that is influence by an establishment such as a mall. I’m struggling with the identity of a Christian in a materialistic world? What and how does this mean? I am challenged by the words from the Bible, the life style of Jesus and the early church… I begin to question what that means?
Jesus was a radical teacher… but am I a radical disciple…
