Something Different...

This quote is linked to the other one that I shared last Thursday from Shane Claiborne's book, "The Irresistible Revolution."

"I’m convinced that Jesus came not just to prepare us to die but to teach us how to live. Otherwise, much of Jesus’ wisdom would prove quite unnecessary for the afterlife. After all, how hard could it be to love our enemies in heaven? And the kingdom that Jesus speaks so much about is not just something we hope for after we die but is something we are to incarnate now. Jesus says the kingdom is ‘within us,’ ‘among us,’ ‘at hand,’ and we are to pray that it comes ‘on earth as it is in heaven.’ No wonder the early Christian church was known as the Way. It was a way of life that stood in glaring contrast to the world. What gave the early Christians integrity was the fact that they could denounce the empire and in the same breath say, ‘And we have another way of living. If you are tired of what the empire has to offer, we invite you into the Way.’ Even the pagan emperors could not ignore the little revolution of love. Emperor Julian confessed, ‘The godless Galileans feed our poor in addition to their own.’ And the Way had little cells multiplying all over that ole empire. Of course, everyone was forewarned that in this kingdom everything is backward and upside-down—the last are first and the first are last, the poor are blessed and the mighty are cast from their thrones. And yet people were attracted to it. They were ready for something different from what the empire had to offer.” Shane Claiborne, The Irresistible Revolution (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006), 117-118.


Are you ready for something different? What does it look like? What will it take for Christians to find the courage to live differently? Sound off...let's hear what you think!