Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne

A few weeks ago I was going to post this and just forgot. I was having a bit or a moral dilemma so blogging went on the back burner.


Over the past few weeks many things have been on my mind. I just finished a great book written by Shane Claiborne called the Irresistible Revolution which my good friend Bruce J Yoder had suggested. I think it may portray the best description of what Christianity should look like. It doesn’t focus on fire and brimstone. It doesn’t talk about saving the masses by forcing the “good news” down their throat. It doesn’t focus on what we need to do to make bigger and better churches. It talks about following Jesus in a very real and literal sense. Following Jesus is one of the things I heard countless times growing up, but I had never heard it described the way it did in this book. Many times reading the book I felt ashamed for portraying Christianity the way I had. The biggest thing I realized while reading the book was that as Christians it is our duty, to stand against oppression, to fight injustice, and to love our neighbor. When the US started its war in Iraq, what did Christians do? What did I do? I did nothing. Sure I might have said I think violence is wrong or war is never justified. How does that actually make a difference? Did I voice my opinion loudly to the world, did I protest, did I write letters to our elected officials? Did I dare go to Iraq as the author puts it, as an “extremist for love?” That is exactly what the author did. He went to Iraq in March of 2003, he went to be with the people to stand in the way of terror and war.

“Thousands of soldiers have gone to Iraq, willing to kill people they do not know because of a political allegiance. I went willing to die for people I do not know because of a spiritual allegiance…..it’s is my hope that Christian peacemaking becomes the new face of global missions. May we stand by those who face the impending wrath of the empire and whisper, “God loves you, I love you, and if my country bombs your country, I will be right here with you.” As one of the saints said “If they come for the innocent and do not pass over our bodies, then cursed be our religion.”

As a Christian and a Mennonite I believe as much as we say we are anti-war and non-violent, when push comes to shove are we really? Did our church conference stand up and publicly state our opposition to the war? Did my church talk about how bad the war was? Did I really do anything? If our beliefs don’t translate into action in everyday life, our faith is dead. Sure we may not have voiced our support for the war, but we did what Mennonites tend to do, quietly sit back and discuss the problems of the world, but stay within our protective comfortable bubble. Once again I have to look at what Jesus did, was he known as soft-spoken guy who did what he can to keep people happy. Was he the guy that quietly discussed the problems facing society and then went about his work as a carpenter? Jesus didn’t go looking for trouble, but when you speak against the empire (whether it be Rome or my own country) trouble seems to find you. As Shane puts it, “ Jesus was put to death for living with the poor, for being friends with prostitutes, tax collectors, and zealots.”