a must read

For Christmas I received a book called "Everything Must Change - Jesus, Global Crises, and a Revolution of Hope". Quite the ambitious and wide-sweeping title. But in its pages I've found what I've been hungry for.

My faith has been shifting from believing IN Jesus, to believing in the good news message, the gospel, of Jesus. I'm learning more about the historical context in which Jesus taught and it sheds a whole new light on the New Testament. Jesus has moved from this other-worldly teacher speaking in riddles and esoteric poetic language, to one who confronts injustice, violence, oppression, and systemic "evil" through a radical call to live differently. As followers of his way, we are to recreate the world in accordance to the values of the one true God.

I'm planning to re-read this book immediately and blog/journal my responses as I go along. It is that rich. Much of what I am reading reminds me of the message and values of my Mennonite brothers and sisters. I appreciate so much more their emphases of community, redemptive discipline, non-violence, ecological stewardship, and advocacy for the world's poor and oppressed.

Maybe you're turned off by such a list. Maybe you're perfectly content in your belief that Jesus is our savior. I challenge you to ask what that means. Could it mean more than a way to heaven when you die? Most of us who have believed in Jesus as the savior of the world also recognize his truth is to change the way we live. So is that way more than avoidance of "sin"? Could it be that Jesus called his followers to remake the world? Could he really have come to preach good news to the poor?

I think it is hard not to affirm that something is terribly wrong with our world. Is it possible that the way of Christ, the way of this Jew who lived in the throes of religious-political tensions of the Roman Empire 2000 years ago has something to say to our religious-political situation today? I know that if you'll read this book, you'll see a new side of the message of Jesus. Whether you believe in him as your personal savior or if you think he was just a wise/transcendent man, you'll find his message to be what we need now.

McLaren addresses the three spheres of equity, prosperity, and security and shows how our misguided value of amassing wealth and the resulting fears have created a huge mess. Blessed are the poor, indeed.

Have I stoked your curiosity? This book is a must read. And it has discussion questions with each chapter - how handy ;-). If you're interested, there will be a weekend seminar in Kansas City in April - might be cool to attend as a group...It is being sponsored locally in part by Nazarene Theological Seminary. Aaahhh. There is hope.