Running Around in My Head

2009 February 12

by Tyler

As you know already, Rose and I went to see Shane Claiborne speak last Friday night. Some of the things he said have been running around in my head all week. Not too surprising because there are still parts of his book that are up in my head as well. Here were some of the highlights of what he had to say:

“Does God’s dream look like Wall Streets?”
We are being formed into people different from the people of this world.
Christianity spreads best through fascination.
Ideologies and beliefs don’t demand much of us.
“The U.S. is the wealthiest and loneliest country in the world.”
“Redistribution of wealth is only meaningful if it rooted in love.”
“If we lose young people in church it won’t be because we didn’t entertain them, but because we didn’t challenge them.”

Anything stick out to you?

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http://chadsblog.net chad

The last quote is awesome! I totally agree. I think sometimes we handle the younger generations as if they are too stupid or shallow to actually want to be challenged; even if we don’t mean to. We focus on what programs or styles will attract them, but then never do anything with them once they’re there.

I also really liked the 2nd quote…
Kirk

“Does God’s dream look like Wall Streets?”

-Does anyone believe this is how God dreams? What does this mean?

“The U.S. is the wealthiest and loneliest country in the world.”

– Says who? The author? You? What is this based on? How do you quantify lonliness? I must have missed that survey.

“Redistribution of wealth is only meaningful if it rooted in love.”

– Ugh. I hope you don’t agree with this. Taking from one group and giving it to others is such a slippery slope. Do you we need a social safety net? Of course. But people work hard, and I trust them with their dollars far more than sending it to some benighted government apparatus to decide what groups win and which lose out.

“If we lose young people in church it won’t be because we didn’t entertain them, but because we didn’t challenge them.”

– I agree completely with this.
http://manofdepravity.com Tyler

Hey Kirk-

I believe a lot of the world believes that God dreams of Wall Streets, and I hope that Christians do not.

Shane said that. You can disagree.

Redistribution is only meaningful in love…he said this while talking about Acts 2 (end of the chapter) and the Day at Pentecost. He said one of the things that marked the early church was ending poverty. And if you read the text straight up, that is pretty close to what it says. I understand you concern, but I would focus more on the love part of the quote than the redistribution. Then it applies to anything. Whatever we do is only truly meaningful if it is rooted in love.