RealityRevision

Shane Claiborne and the economy

The following is an except from Brandon O'Brien reporting for NPC (Nation Pastor Convention) 2009.  Here are his thoughts and summery on Shane Claiborne's talk.

'The main event this evening was Shane Claiborne, who spoke about the “new economic vision” that God gives his people in Scripture. An important first step to understand Scripture’s economic vision is “learning to laugh in the face of things in the world [like money] that don’t have real power.” He spent most of his time unpacking Mark 10:29-30, by suggesting that, in God’s economy, there is enough for everyone because no one has more than he needs. He quoted an early Christians who said that a person who has two coats when someone has none was considered a thief in the kingdom of God; when you give to the poor, you’re simply giving back what has been stolen.

He argued that the “end of poverty was one of the signs of the birthday of the church,” and that loving our neighbors is not an “act of distant charity” but a matter of entering into relationship with our needy neighbors. This great summary line came late in his talk: “The best thing to do with the best things in life is to give them away.” Then he put his money where his mouth was. Shane cashed the honorarium check that NPC paid him for his sermon tonight into $1 bills. As he concluded, he had someone bring a bag of the dollar bills to him; then he scattered them on the floor and invited everyone to come take one “as a sign of God’s jubilee.”'

Shane Claiborne never really ceases to amaze in the respect that, the words that come from his mouth and what he embodies seems very often to be parallel.  That kind of radical following is seen rarely today, instead we seem to just "consume" the Bible/books/ideas (and we think that's enough?), but we never actually try to embody them.  Too, often I get the feeling that I am just an apathetic Christian drunk on romantic ideas.  I trying to become more than that, it's difficult.

Okay, we're back to this "new economic vision".  I read somewhere (sorry can't remember the source), that Shane said, in regards to the economic crisis, "The first step for recovering from an addiction, is admitting you have a problem."  I agree, our culture is addicted to stuff and the consumption thereof.  We definitely have a very real problem, simply put, we consume too much (I promise I won't throw wealth statistics at you, I'm sure you're seem them), and worst of all at others expense and lives.  I suppose a solution would be in order, because when someone tell you, you have a problem they most often have a solution in mind.  Well I don't, rather read the Bible, contextualize from then into today's story, meditate, pray, love, and embody.  This will look different for each one of us.

Just some of my thoughts.  Peace.