Another Way Of Doing Life

ask people what Christians believe, they can tell you ... ask the average person how Christians live, they are struck silent.

Shane Claiborne reckons this is because we haven't shown anything different, that "Christians live pretty much like everyone else; they just sprinkle a little Jesus in along the way". As a result he reckons "spiritual seekers have not been able to hear the words of Christians because the lives of Christians have been making so much horrible noise.

Sometimes people call those of us in our community radical. Most of the time though, I think that if what we are doing seems radical, then that says more about the apathy of Western Christianity that about the true nature of our discipleship.

I experienced this kind of thing recently when i did something mildly generous and a friend complimented me for "radical discipleship". He meant it well, and i took it that way - but part of me shed a tear that my actions were considered the exception rather than the norm.

Shane quotes Dorothy Day as saying "Don't call us saints; we don't want to be dismissed that easily" and implores us to allow Jesus to change our actions as well as our beliefs. Just as he did for Zaccheus, and for Levi, and for countless others. Such discipleship is not only more rewarding, but is also a greater help to those around us.

We can believe in CPR, but people will remain dead until someone breathes life into them. And we can tell the world that there is life after death, but the world really seems to be wondering if there is life before death.