Last week a couple of people from my home community went with me to hear Shane Claiborne speak last week at Mosaic Church. They were unfamiliar with Shane, the Simple Way community, or much of the dialogue concerning intentional community and ordinary radical living. When we showed up to a packed out church we found quite a few friends there too (Jason, Ron and Lori, and Xolani).
As a side note, you’ve got to check out Shane’s rules about speaking at events. They’re very intentional, funny, and simple. I love it.
It was so refreshing to hear Shane remind us of things that Jessica and I have already wanted to be true of us but had grown fuzzy on. Hearing him talk only a few weeks removed from Kairos Strategy Lab where we spent time prayerfully putting a dream for a church on paper was excellent timing as well because much of what he said reiterated qualities we desired to be true of our church.
He spoke about the importance of the church, that the church was God’s creation not ours. It is through the church that God desires to communicate his love to the world. At the same time he compared the church to the ark from the story of Noah. It’s filled with crap but if you step outside of it you’re going to stink. He quoted another author and speaker (st. Augustine) saying “The church is a whore, but she’s my mother”. It may not be perfect but it’s Gods!
Shane reminded us that we’ve spent so much time trying to tell people about Jesus that it’s time we stopped using words. People are tired of us using words to tell them why they need Jesus and it’s about time that we stopped using words and started using our actions. Let’s show people that we love Jesus and that Jesus loves them huh?!
One courageous audience member came up to the microphone and said that that he and his wife read Shanes book a year ago and decided to move into lower income housing and to begin living in community with those in their neighborhood. That was a year ago. And then he said, “but it hasn’t happened. I guess what I’m trying to ask you is…umm…how do I become friends with my neighbor?” It was great and poignant and a perfect question! Shanes friend Chris answered the question. He talked about taking hot chocolate to some people on the corner waiting to buy some drugs. He talked about doing small things. About prayer. But mostly he said (and I love this) work on your marriage! Your marriage is your best tool for showing your neighbors Jesus. He said it doesn’t matter if you live in a ghetto or in suburbia, you’ve got to work on your marriage first.
There was so much more I could say. As Brandon (one of the friends who came with me) said, “I wish I could just listen for five minuets and then have a day to think about it.” There was all Shanes usual stuff about using your imagination, about being a radical, about redefining, about avoiding the dangers of Babylon, etc. You’ll have to read his books for that stuff.
Peace.
