Christian activist, preacher, and author Shane Claiborne came to my university a couple weeks ago and spoke a lot of truth. He inspired us. He challenged us.
“What if Jesus meant the stuff He said?”
The question really stops you right in your tracks. Wow. Right? What a convicting question. And what a challenge.
He spoke such truth into us. We are called to a radical love and called to action. He joked about how many people’s testimonies are they got into a lot of trouble and went to jail and then once they found Jesus, they put all of that behind them.
Shane joked, but with all seriousness…he said, “My life was pretty great before I met Jesus. Then He completely flipped my world upside down. I was a good ole boy, small Prom King…until I really was transformed by Jesus…now I’ve even been taken to jail for living out this call.”
Shane lives out the Gospel in the city of Philadelphia. When the city passed a law forbidding people from sleeping outside in public place and even went as far as to forbid people from giving food out to people on the streets…Shane and his community rose up.
They united against these unjust laws…and slept outside with their homeless brothers and sisters. They were arrested and stood before the court. After wearing a “Jesus was homeless” shirt to court, the judge heard their case…convicted that yes, surely these people broke the law…but that it was an unjust law. He dropped all charges and even requested a “Jesus was homeless” t-shirt on Shane’s way out.
We are called to be “Holy Troublemakers”. If we are living out the Gospel, we are sure to have run-ins with this world and those who oppose the Way.
So the question is, what exactly does Jesus say?
Matthew 5:43-44 “You have heard that it was said, love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” -Jesus
Matthew 25:35-40
“For I was hungry,
and you gave Me something to eat;
I was thirsty,
and you gave me something to drink;
I was a stranger,
and you invited me in;
I was naked,
and you clothed me;
I was sick,
and you took care of Me;
I was in prison,
and you visited Me.
I assure you; whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for Me.”- Jesus
Matthew 28:18-20 “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. Surely I will be with you always, until the very end of the age.” -Jesus
Matthew 16:24-25 “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever lose his life because of Me will find it.” -Jesus
We are not called to normal, mundane lives. We are called for so much more…to love our enemies, welcome the stranger, feed the poor, clothe the naked, to go into all the world and make disciples, and to deny ourselves to follow Him.
It is not an easy call.
We are called to a radical love…a radical life of following Jesus.
Check out Shane Claiborne’s book, “Irresistible Revolution: Living As An Ordinary Radical”. I’m currently listening to the audiobook as I travel 🙂
Thank you to all who have joined my support team so far. I’m humbled and so full of joy to see where the Lord leads as we answer this call to live radically. With the current support and recent pledges, I will be at $17,600 raised altogether! I’m blown away by the Lord’s faithfulness and the Church’s generosity. Thank you, Jesus and thank you, Church!
In Christ,
Hannah
