In the midst of the Mennonite confession of faith, I thought
it would be appropriate to review a book that is Anabaptist in theology and
radical in practice.
Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw in Jesus for President
depict what it means to follow Jesus in a culture that blurs the line between
church and state, "in god we trust" and Jesus, a church compromised
and a church living out the Sermon on the Mount. This book begins with the Hebrew Scripture
(Old Testament) and moves through the Bible and early church history to see
where God is at work in the midst of Empire, how followers of Jesus become
compromised, and what it looks like when we declare as Christians that we do
not have divided loyalties: we are for Jesus and him crucified.
There are several things that really stood out to me as an
Anabaptist. First is the need to declare
into a militaristic and consumerist society that there is a different path, a
different way that can lived out right where we are through
revolutionary practices...like making our own clothes, growing our own food and
supporting local farmers, turning off the numbing TV set and instead talking to
our neighbors, declining participation in the military to follow Jesus
instead. While sharing many real life
stories of how to participate in the life of Christ in everyday life (which
is awesome), it simply begged the question, "What does being Christ mean
and look like in our small town in our church?" Some suggestions from Jesus for President
are challenging, but doable, while others seem to not fit the community. So...what different things might we do to
follow Jesus?
The second thing that stood out to me was the loving way in
which we can talk about following Jesus as our first and only loyalty instead
of U.S. American culture or the president.
As a Mennonite pastor, one of the most useful thoughts I found was how
to discuss the military (and actually anyone who is exploring a career path) with
someone who was interested in it: pray over the person that the fruits of the
Spirit are being cultivated in them (p 273). Ultimately this sums up the point
of the book - "Who are we becoming as Christians, thinking about all
aspects of life, culture, and involvement thereof? Are we becoming more like Jesus as presented
in the gospels?"
One Line Summary: Buy this book, read it and wrestle
with it, pass it on (I think that's what the authors would want!). It offers many good insights that challenge
the normal state of faith and practice in US America, and many suggestions and
thoughts about what it means to follow Jesus, and him alone, in our
society.
Book Reviewed: Claiborne, Shane, and Haw, Chris. Jesus
for President. USA: Simple Way, 2008.
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