Chapter 10 of Shane Claiborne’s “The Irresistible Revolution.” Four quotes:
p. 270 “We live in an age in which people, when they hear the word Christian, are much more likely to think of people who hate gays than people who love outcasts, and that is a dangerous thing.”
p. 270 Brennan Manning said: “The greatest cause of atheism is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door and deny him with their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”
p. 272 “I always say that if we believe terrorists are beyond redemption, we can rip out half of our New Testament, since it was written by a converted terrorist who became an extremist for grace (Paul). It’s what happens when we discover that God has a desperate love for losers just like us.”
p. 278 “That night in Baghdad, I read Psalm 23. It’s the one folks usually read at funerals: ‘Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.’ And I felt like I was. But I noticed something I had never noticed before. The psalm says that a table is prepared ‘in the presence of my enemies.’ I remember thinking, Why are our enemies there? What if after we die, God brings our enemies to the table and asks them how we treated them? What if Jesus asks them, ‘Shane here claims to follow me. Did he love you? Did he feed you and pray for you like I taught him to?’ What would our enemies say? And how awkward would dinner be with Saddam or George W. or the in-laws?”
That last one makes you think, doesn’t it? If not… never mind.
Love is hard. Love is good. I need Jesus.
Peace. Revolution.
1 comment:
Never would have thought of Paul in the terrorist light, but I suppose that he would fit the definition. That last one does make me think - and fidget nervously in my chair...
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