Also, like Shane, I see the atrocities done in this world. I feel terribly for the people who lose their lives everyday, whether it is from poverty, hunger, AIDS, or falling bombs. I sincerely wish that there was something more that I could do. I have spoken out at my school, to friends and to family (even the die-hard Catholic grandparents who love the military). I was in the Invisible Children's Club at my high school. My senior year, we won a national contest by raising over $25,000 for the campaign. Taylor Thompson (currently at Vanderbilt) got to go to Africa this summer and help watch the building of a school, which our money funded.
I am also deeply confused with our sense of "justice", a main topic in our course. "Ironically, most violence comes from a deep desire for justice," Shane says on page 247. We put people on death row for murder. We bomb other countries "in the name of freedom."
Shane gives an altar call to close his book. "It is an altar call to the world, an invitation to see a new kind of Christianity and to hear the confession of a church on its knees asking your forgiveness for the mess we have helped create," (357). Will we hear this altar call? And do we even want to? Shane also says: "We want a God who is at a safe distance," (321). I see this more often than I see the Shane's in the world. I think that we all do, though we may not want to admit it.
I would imagine that most of us would be afraid to give up all that we have. To protest against the world's injustices. To put ourselves, literally, in the face of death (as Shane did in Iraq). I know that I would be.
It is beautiful to see people filled with such love as Shane. But how many of us could, and would, honestly, do the same?
I agree with a lot that was said throughout this blog entry. Shane is a wonderful person for what he has done. I'm sure there are also others who have done work similar to Shane's, but there are also the ones, like myself, who have not done anything to measure up to the risks that were/are taken. This book has inspired me to become a better Christian. Although, I would have to honestly say I would probably never give away all my possessions, I know I can start with the little things. (Who knows, this might lead to God calling for bigger things.)
ReplyDeleteI also agree with most of this entry. However, like Tiffany, i feel that we can all start with at least little changes in our lives that will positively effect others. I think that it is too easy to assume that we cannot do much to live less "selfishly" other than voice our opinions and try to donate things once and a while. Like you said Sydney, we can raise money for just causes, we can show compassion to strangers, we can research where our money really goes and how a company treats its employees (namely those in foreign countries) before we buy more "cheap" products from them. Shane talked a little about this when he told us about the tomato farmers for Taco Bell. We don't necessarily have to give ALL of our possessions away (although I think we all agree that that would be a very honorable thing to do). It's just not always as easy as Shane makes it out to be...
ReplyDeleteI think that starting somewhere is a great way to actually get started. Like Shane writes in his book and Sydney, Tiffany, and Vickie said above there is a great need and too many people not helping. This book taught me to show that I am a Christian by showing love to those who need it and not just living in the comfortable Christian world. The examples above, giving money and paying attention to the way employees are treated, are great.
ReplyDeleteShane has an alter call at the end of this book to get the readers to actually do something, like Sydney says. We do need to accept this alter call. Sometimes people love an idea and go towards the call, but then they don't seem to do too much about it. I think we need to make a great change in the world and actually accept the alter call with great passion and then keep it going.
As a young lad, I grew up in the United Methodist Church. The beliefs of our church is based on grace and "open minds, open hearts, open doors". When I read John Wesley's personal beliefs, which is the basis of the international congregations 'canon' I found something on murder and the death sentence.
ReplyDeleteIt states that if you take someones life, either by lethal injection, bullet, or bomb, you are taking God's chance to save that person, to fulfill him or her with his love and grace.
That is why I do not believe in the death penalty. But, it does get a little sticky at this point, because I believe in just war. I wish we could all live and love. But this WON'T happen. This makes me sad, but, this will something I feel that we will always live with.