When the Truth Hits

I just finished The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical by Shane Claiborne. I haven't had time to read this book. I started it a while ago and finally finished it, even though I really didn't have time to read it now either. But it couldn't have came at a better time. I have been (and I am) struggling with a lot of thoughts right now and this book affirmed some of my thoughts and challenged me too.

"But I did not meet God in the halls of the Christian college like I had expected I would."

This is how I feel. Like I had these expectations of what a Christian college should be. Now I am wondering if I was nieve or unrealistic. At the same time shouldn't I look different as a Christian? Shouldn't anything bearing the name Christian look different, even if it is an adjective? Am I different? And if we can't be distinguished then are we really doing anything other then conforming to the world and trying to be like everyone else? I don't want to be like everyone else. I want to be who I am called to be. And if that means that I trust a little more, love until it hurts and then love some more, and forgive and offer grace even when it seems foolish then that's what I want to be.

"I saw a street kids get twenty bucks panhandling outside of a store and then immediately run inside to share it with all of his friends. We saw a homeless man lay a pack of cigarettes in the offering plate because it was all he had. I met a blind street musician who was viciously abused by some young guys who would mock her, and one night even sprayed Lysol in her eyes as a practical joke. As we held her that night, one of us said, "There are a lot of bad folks in the world, aren't there?" And she said, "Oh but there are a lot of good ones too. And the bad ones make you, the good ones, seem even sweeter."

But I keep questioning something, what if we don't stop and love this woman and people like her? What if we ignore the need that is in front of us? Are we really any better then the people who sprayed her in the face?