Jesus for President

I'm on the home stretch of reading Jesus for President.  I'm in a pretty good-sized tangle from reading this book.  I've been close to tears many times, I've dog-eared a ton of pages, I've found myself arguing and disagreeing with big sections of the book and I've also found myself speechless and deeply affected at other sections.  There is no question that I've been challenged by this book. 

I'll summarize a few thoughts and then give a few of my favorite lines and quotes:

• I think the authors' interest in and use of church history is admirable and desperately needed in the Church today.  We are far too divorced from our past.  That being said, I think the authors' presentation of church history is often heavily slanted and one-sided.  My recommendation--use their passion for church history as a catalyst to go read primary sources from church history in their full context.  There's a great library of free stuff to read at ccel.org.
• The discussion surrounding American Christians'  far too intimate connection with American "conservative" political agendas and the "empire" is painfully correct in my opinion.  I'm tired of my revolutionary faith in a revolutionary leader, God in skin, Jesus, being connected with misguided, power-hungry, exploitive political leaders and their agendas.  We need a new reputation as a church.  And we need to get out of the Elephant's bed.  Our allegiance is to Jesus and His agenda and that cannot be accomplished in the political arena.  That is the job of the radical people of God, the Church.
• The stories of radical and simple living in the way of Jesus (found in the final section of the book) are compelling and exciting.  I have much to learn from people like Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw and Belize Christian farmers and Kassim and Lydia and Celestin and a host of others.  I'm praying for a humble heart and open eyes in this regard.
• Voting for Jesus has become for me a good starting place.  I believe it has opened a door to new growth as a follower of Jesus. 

Here's a random sample of some of my favorite lines, phrases and quotes from the book:

• Sowers must not become discouraged easily.  The disciples were constantly butting up against Jesus' thoughts about the way God's reign comes on earth.  "It will never work that way!" you can hear the disciples thinking at almost every encounter...  But Jesus' revolutionary patience claimed that another kingdom is coming--one that you can participate in but cannot build, a seed you can plant and water but cannot make grow.  But you can't stop sowing seeds either. (p. 100)
• Caesar could brand with his image coins, crowns, and robes which moths would eat and rust would destroy.  But life and creation have God's stamp on them.  Caesar could have his coins but life was God's. (p. 117)
• When people succumb to violence, it infects them like a disease or poison that leads to their own death...  Violence is suicidal.  Suicide rates of folks in the military and those working the chambers of death row are astronomical; they kill themselves as they feel the image of God dying in them. (p. 204)
• It's easy to have political views--that's what politicians do.  but it's much harder to embody a political alternative--that's what saints do.  (p. 235)
• we must be relevant non-conformists... (p. 240)
• [Jesus] refused to use his miraculous power to marvel people into the kingdom.  He worked His miracles not to shock and awe or to feed his own mouth but to feed the masses. (p. 244)
• I wasn't sure what Jesus would have done if he were in our place but there are two things I know Jesus would not have done.  He would not have fought.  And He would not have run. (p. 265)
• ...Jesus calls us to be peculiar but also engaged in the world we find ourselves in.  (p. 246)
• The pecuculiarity of the church is not for its own sake but for the sake of the whole creation, for the cities and neighborhoods in which we find ourselves. (p. 237)

Comments

[Eric]

I am interested in reading this book. I just got Irresistible Revolution by Shaine Claiborne and am excited to read as well. I like the lens in which Claiborne looks at things through...maybe because it is just it is not how I normally think the way he does. I agree we all could learn a great deal in way of living life...I'll let you know how the book is.

eric