...until we take over the world. ~Shane Claiborne
"The Jesus movement is a revolution that dances" ~Shane Claiborne
I finally got around to reading Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne. Over the last few years, I have had friend after friend reccommend this book to me. However, not usually willing to pay full price for a book, I waited until I finally found it at Half-Price Books and then I snatched it up this summer. I had been warned though. This guy is completely radical, but he has some good ideas. I was expecting to find some good nuggets of wisdom, but also to disagree with a lot of what he said. Or even if I didn't completely disagree, at least just pass it off as the ramblings of a radical, and as not actually practical ways of living for everyone. However, I was wrong. I think I agreed with almost everything he said. And it is hard. Maybe the reason some people would like to pass him off as a radical is that what he says is hard. But as I read, I couldn't help but think, This sounds right. This sounds like Jesus. Jesus was not an easy person to follow in his time, why should he be an easy person to follow now?
I know I am not ready to completely give up everything in the way Shane has, however, I also know that is because of my own selfishness, not because I don't think it is necessary. But I want to start taking small steps in giving up my rights and my life, and allowing Jesus to really work through me. I pray for open eyes to see the opportunities to show love and the courage to take them.
And maybe a small part of me just loved this book because every chapter talked about a revolution that dances. And how beautiful is that?
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Sunday, August 2, 2009
we've moved out of jesus' neighborhood
it's been a strange transition back to bolivia. i am home, yet homesick for the "old" bolivia with all my dear friends who have left. it's been hard. however, God is good and today was full of those precious moments that remind me of my love for this place. being back in my bolivian church, singing the familiar spanish worship songs, just felt right, i was at peace.
i came back to bolivia this year refreshed and with a renewed fire to invest in the lives of those living in poverty with whom i often come in contact. and after spending a beautiful two hours at the river with some of the most amazing kids i know, my heart is so full, and yet so broken. i spent most of my time, laughing and talking with the 15-16 year old girls whom i have spent the last 3 years falling more in love with every week. they have always been obsessed with my hair, lovingly brushing it and stroking it, asking me why i am not a model (i usually just say, "because i am a teacher":) ), but today they kept asking me what shampoo i use and how much it cost, because they wanted to make their hair smooth like mine. and i couldn't respond. how could i tell them i spend more on a bottle of shampoo than their family probably does on a whole day's worth of food? instead, i just promised to bring each of them a bottle...because what 15 year old girl doesn't deserve to pamper herself a little?
however, the whole time i was laughing with these girls, inside i was breaking and the tears were threatening. because one of these beautiful girls, 16 year old Erika, had been mysteriously absent the whole last semester, and today had shown up with a new little baby boy on her back. her son. i don't know what happened, and she seemed embarassed, so i didn't ask, but my mind just ran through all the scenarios, wondering if she had been "married" off by her family, or if she had fallen for some boy somewhere, or if this baby was the result of some awful abuse. all i knew was this lovely girl should not have been a mother yet. i held the tiny baby for a while so she could do the sunday school activity with everyone else, and she and some of the other girls joked about him being my baby. and with all my heart i wished i could have taken him from her and given her the chance at a least a semi-normal childhood, without the burden of motherhood. but alas, that is not my place. so instead, i will love this girl and her little boy with all my heart and do anything i can to make her life easier. i don't know yet what this will be, but i am praying for God to open my eyes to opportunities to show His love to her and to give me the courage to follow through. because how many times do we feel that nudge, but let the doubts and worries of what others will think or how much it will cost keep us from acting on it? i know for me it happens all too often that i ignore that quiet whisper. and therefore my prayer this year is that i will act whenever or wherever the opportunity arises.
"we can do no great things, only small things with great love." ~mother theresa
i came back to bolivia this year refreshed and with a renewed fire to invest in the lives of those living in poverty with whom i often come in contact. and after spending a beautiful two hours at the river with some of the most amazing kids i know, my heart is so full, and yet so broken. i spent most of my time, laughing and talking with the 15-16 year old girls whom i have spent the last 3 years falling more in love with every week. they have always been obsessed with my hair, lovingly brushing it and stroking it, asking me why i am not a model (i usually just say, "because i am a teacher":) ), but today they kept asking me what shampoo i use and how much it cost, because they wanted to make their hair smooth like mine. and i couldn't respond. how could i tell them i spend more on a bottle of shampoo than their family probably does on a whole day's worth of food? instead, i just promised to bring each of them a bottle...because what 15 year old girl doesn't deserve to pamper herself a little?
however, the whole time i was laughing with these girls, inside i was breaking and the tears were threatening. because one of these beautiful girls, 16 year old Erika, had been mysteriously absent the whole last semester, and today had shown up with a new little baby boy on her back. her son. i don't know what happened, and she seemed embarassed, so i didn't ask, but my mind just ran through all the scenarios, wondering if she had been "married" off by her family, or if she had fallen for some boy somewhere, or if this baby was the result of some awful abuse. all i knew was this lovely girl should not have been a mother yet. i held the tiny baby for a while so she could do the sunday school activity with everyone else, and she and some of the other girls joked about him being my baby. and with all my heart i wished i could have taken him from her and given her the chance at a least a semi-normal childhood, without the burden of motherhood. but alas, that is not my place. so instead, i will love this girl and her little boy with all my heart and do anything i can to make her life easier. i don't know yet what this will be, but i am praying for God to open my eyes to opportunities to show His love to her and to give me the courage to follow through. because how many times do we feel that nudge, but let the doubts and worries of what others will think or how much it will cost keep us from acting on it? i know for me it happens all too often that i ignore that quiet whisper. and therefore my prayer this year is that i will act whenever or wherever the opportunity arises.
"we can do no great things, only small things with great love." ~mother theresa
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