Economics Of Rebirth

Chapter 6 of Irresistible Revolution starts with Shane's story about a wealthy business man he met. The man had been "thinking about following Christ and what that means" - the result was a custom-made What-Would-Jesus-Do engraved bracelet of 24-karat gold. It's kinda funny, but also sad. It's the materialistic culture that engulfs us, even as we try to follow Jesus.

The chapter challenges us to be more generous with the excess we have (as Jesus suggested). After all, we pray for our daily bread - not for a lifetime supply. One example of generosity came (ironically enough) from someone with very little.

One of the beggars in Calcutta approached me one day, and I had no money on me, but i felt a piece of gum in my pocket, so I handed it too her. I have no idea how long it had been since she had chewed gum, or if she had ever even had the chance. She looked at it and smiled with delight. Then she tore it into three pieces and handed one to me and one to a friend so we could share the excitement.

Groups of families are discovering the blessings that come with sharing possessions. The funt that comes with doing things together and spending time with each other. Of course, poor people have known this for some time. Shane suggests this is why Jesus states the difficulty for rich people to enter God's kingdom. Personal wealth acts as a blindfold, blocking the vision of an "interdependent community, dependent on God, and on each other".
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"There is enough for everyone's need, but there is never enough for everyone's greed" - Ghandi