Messing With My Mind

So this video clip makes the book seem all warm and fuzzy as Shane Claiborne raises simple, basic questions to "think about." Well, that was not my experience at ALL! Man, this book messed with my mind! In a good way...

While the book's title may conjure up images of "Christian dominion," that is not at all what it is about. This book is somewhat written to a US audience, but just as applicable to us, since all nations share in the world system. In it he challenges the reader on a number of themes:

- What it means to love
- What it means to be set apart
- What it means to be community
- What it means to be free of empire (world systems)
- What it means to be a disciple of Jesus
- What it means to be baptized
- What it means to take Jesus as our model

Sounds simple enough, right?

He does wrestles with these questions from a perspective free of worldly obligations, nationalism, or reliance on government (empire) provision. He proposes living in community that embodies economic and social justice, free from materialism and exploitation of others. Like he says, "We may live in the best Babylon in the world, but it's still Babylon." His conclusions are radical, hard to swallow, uncomfortable to think about doing, but he makes some pretty valid arguments based on the bible and the life of Jesus.

They involve living differently than the world system promotes, conspiring to spread the vision of 'loving God, loving People, and following Jesus' in our neighborhoods and in our world. He concludes that living like Jesus is subversive to the "world system" not reforming.

I had heard about Shane before, since Sarah had read this book over a year ago. But since I was busy with school work, I didn't have time to read it with her. Now all of the challenging questions she was asking at the time make sense.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, uncomfortableness and all. Now I need to take the things that challenged me to God and see how they are to be worked out in my life. So, if you see me wearing home-made clothes next Saturday, and I ride my bike instead of driving, then you know, I am on my way :) Just kidding...kind of...

Like I said, this book is messing with my mind.