I remember laughing the first time I saw the commercial where the people decide to get organized and buy all the Rubbermaid containers. They then cleaned their house and low and behold, they find they have room for a ton more “stuff”. Yet, there is something very sad in that also. Do you see it?
I am preparing for this course on “The Missional Church” and the books for the course are great, especially Brian McLaren’s latest book, Everything Must Change. (You can checkout his website for the book at http://everythingmustchange.org/.) I appreciate it when I am confronted with ideals which force me to question my beliefs and faith. But, even more than that, I especially appreciate when a book makes me want to get off my btm and change the world. He is asking for a revolution: a revolution in how we hear Jesus, how we perceive our world and how we define ourselves as Christians and Americans.
If you have not read this book – do!
I am a conservative and I normally vote Republican. Did I hear an “ugh”? Gary is on the far opposite side. (Notice, I did include the opposite in that statement and not just the far side – ha-ha!) Anyway, I would imagine that this is a book on which we could basically agree.
We cannot continue to bury our heads in the sand and pretend the rest of the world doesn’t exist. God gave us paradise and then kicked us out into this world. In some ways, I think we have reacted like spoiled children ever since – ruining everything given.
Do you remember the first few days of kindergarten or first grade? When you entered the classroom and maybe knew one or two other kids? It was a fearful time, but so exciting too. Each person brought something new and different into your world and it was great fun to learn and exchange. The world still is fun and there still are many exciting and new things which others can bring. The problem for most of us is that we listen to the media, we close our doors to strangers and we fear everyone and everything we do not know. We look for security systems, defense training, attack dogs and guns to protect us from “them” and to protect our “stuff”; while we are consuming more wealth, resources, talents and technology than any other nation in the world. Meanwhile, the poor are getting poorer and angrier.
Revolution is in the wind…and coming to our shores. The choice is ours whether we meet it with Jesus or go back to our couches behind the double-bolted doors.
Posted by Darcy
Faith Venture 
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