While I didn’t particularly like Shane Claiborne’s writing style, or the flimsy support for some of his arguments, The Irrisistible Revolution attacks an important and glaringly large problem with the church in America: our self-absorption.
Throughout the book, there is an aftertaste of biblical thought, though some of the actual content wasn’t quite solid. Especially his biblically insupportable bit about economics, to which Wayne Grudem’s Business to the Glory of God provides a good counterpoint. Also, in reference to his revival of “the spirit of Jubilee,” be wary of cherry-picking Old Testament practices to resurrect. Generosity is good on its own; you don’t need to name it something odd to give yourself legitimacy.
Mostly though, with a few sniffs and snits, the core of what he says is biblical. Love your neighbor means: if he doesn’t have a coat, or groceries, or a job, or any other thing he needs, and you have means, help him out. Under that definition, I fail immediately and exhaustively. But my answer to The Irrisistible Revolution isn’t necessarily throwing everything I have away (i.e. heaps of books and an accordion) and starting a commune. Neat as that would be, I would absolutely wrap myself in the ultra-cool, hippie, I AM HELPING THE POOR HAVE YOU NOTICED HOW VERY AWESOME I AM aura and miss the point.
My solution is starting where I am, in my thrice-cursed Elmer’s white middle class rowhouse next to Walmart, looking for opportunities to serve first the people around me, and then going locally to where people need more and serving them. Helping the poor and downtrodden is beautiful and dirty and wonderful and necessary, and should start close and work its way out. Let your love be genuine.
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