Irresistible Revolution

The RSV lingers on, but it's lessening, praise God. We've spent the last several days in our house, trying to get everyone healthy and preventing the spread of it to other children. This has been a time for me to practice what I was preaching in my previous blog about simplifying our life and enjoying the silence.

Of course, for a stay at home mom, silence can be welcomed, but also deafening. It's welcomed after you hear a constant whine, but deafening when you don't have any adult conversation throughout the day. Both the babe and I look forward to seeing other people - sometimes it seems like she looks at me and is thinking, "You again?" So, as important as it is to simplify our schedule, it's also important to have a good support structure, a community.

This week, for example, I was hoping to reenter society, if at all possible. In fact, we have our two regular playgroups set up, as well as three play dates sort of planned. It seems that many of these outings will be postponed until next week, when we can be sure the kiddo is not as contagious. Ah well. All in the name of parenthood, right?

With us being quarantined to our house, I have started reading like crazy. This week has rejuvenated my love for books. I have finished two books, and working on the other three. The top book in the photo, "The Irresistible Revolution" by Shane Claiborne has really challenged my thinking and interpretation of many of the words Jesus said. I'd strongly encourage anyone to read the book, just for pure conversation on the topic.

He speaks of his internship at a well known, very wealthy church, and how difficult it was to adjust from just coming back from a summer project working with Mother Teresa in Calcutta. Here's one passage from the book by Clairborne, "It was very revealing when I asked someone why there were no crosses at the church and he replied, 'We try to be seeker-sensitive and the cross is not.' To be fair, I know he was referring to the fact that many folks associate the pain of past church experiences with the traditional icons and music, hymnals and pews, so this church got rid of those cultural barriers. And while they proclaim and live the message of the cross in many beautiful ways, there is still something profoundly unsettling about a church a church that has no crosses. True the cross is not always seek sensitive. It is not comfortable. But it is the cornershone of our faith, and I fear that when we remove the cross, we remove the central symbol of the nonviolence and grace of our lover. If we remove the cross, we are in danger of promoting a very cheap grace. Perhaps it should make us uncomfortable. After all it wasn't so comfy to get nailed there."

This book really challenges you to live up to the title. He really encourages radical living for Christ, and has made me re-evaluate what certain passages of scripture mean.

I'm still digesting everything I've read and praying about it. I do agree that many of us (myself included) don't live as the early church did - radically and sold out for Christ. I hope that God would use this book to show me ways for my life to change.