I do believe that the Church is God's primary instrument for ushering in the Kingdom (God's dream) on earth as it is in heaven, but God is not limited to use only the Church, or only Christians for that matter. Shane Claiborne More Quotes by Shane Claiborne More Quotes From Shane Claiborne Perhaps there is no more dangerous place for a Christian to be than in safety and comfort, detached from the suffering of others. Shane Claiborne suffering-of-others safety christian The Christian icon is not the Stars and Stripes but a cross-flag, and its emblem is not a donkey, an elephant, or an eagle, but a slaughtered lamb. Shane Claiborne stars christian god Most good things have been said far too many times and just need to be lived. Shane Claiborne words-of-wisdom good-things needs Charity wins awards and applause, but joining the poor gets you killed. People do not get crucified for charity. People are crucified for living out a love that disrupts the social order, that calls forth a new world. People are not crucified for helping poor people. People are crucified for joining them. Shane Claiborne awards winning order Christianity can be built around isolating ourselves from evildoers and sinners, creating a community of religious piety and moral purity. That’s the Christianity I grew up with. Christianity can also be built around joining with the broken sinners and evildoers of our world crying out to God, groaning for grace. That’s the Christianity I have fallen in love with. Shane Claiborne creating our-world religious So even as we see the horror of death, may we be reminded that in the end, love wins. Mercy triumphs. Life is more powerful than death. And even those who have committed great violence can have the image of God come to life again within them as they hear the whisper of love. May the whisper of love grow louder than the thunder of violence. May we love loudly. Shane Claiborne powerful winning may We don't actually have rich and poor together instead we have a family. What does it mean? If you have resources, you hold them with open hands. The mark of the early church was that they began sharing and it said there were no needy persons among them. They ended poverty as they created this new loving community. Shane Claiborne community mean hands Philadelphia caught my attention in 1995 when a group of homeless families were living in an abandoned cathedral. Even from the beginning they connected theology with what they were doing. They put a banner on the front of the cathedral that said, "How can we worship a homeless man on Sunday and ignore one on Monday." Shane Claiborne sunday monday men How can we worship a homeless man on Sunday and ignore one on Monday? Shane Claiborne sunday monday men Over and over, when I ask God why all of these injustices are allowed to exist in the world, I can feel the Spirit whisper to me, You tell me why we allow this to happen. You are my body, my hands, my feet. Shane Claiborne feet hands world I am sorry that so often the biggest obstacle to God has been Christians. Christians who have had so much to say with our mouths and so little to show with our lives. I am sorry that so often we have forgotten the Christ of our Christianity. Shane Claiborne mouths christian sorry All around you, people will be tiptoeing through life, just to arrive at death safely. But dear children, do not tiptoe. Run, hop, skip, or dance, just don't tiptoe. Shane Claiborne running children people I wondered if there were other restless people asking the question with me: What if Jesus meant the stuff he said?. Shane Claiborne what-if people jesus And I think that's what our world is desperately in need of - lovers, people who are building deep, genuine relationships with fellow strugglers along the way, and who actually know the faces of the people behind the issues they are concerned about. Shane Claiborne issues our-world thinking It is a beautiful thing when folks in poverty are no longer just a missions project but become genuine friends and family with whom we laugh, cry, dream and struggle. Shane Claiborne struggle dream beautiful Faith is not accepting the world as it is but insisting on building the world God wants. Shane Claiborne building want world When we ask God to move a mountain, God may give us a shovel. Shane Claiborne mountain giving moving God comforts the disturbed and disturbs the comfortable. Shane Claiborne disturbed comfortable comfort There are some things to die for but none to kill for. Shane Claiborne dies Recognizing that something is wrong is the first step toward changing the world. Shane Claiborne steps world firsts
