Don’t Fall Asleep in the Light

I’ve found myself riveted to a book lately at the urging of a small group of guys I meet with on Wednesday mornings. The book, Irresistible Revolution, by Shane Claiborne has affected me to my core. Claiborne talks about his life in Chicago and Philadelphia living simply and humbly with the poor…defending them, and even standing up to injustice with them.

His quotes have really started to get me to think about how I’m living life. I know it’s shaken up the group of guys I meet with as well.

Claiborne says,

“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’ve fallen in love with.”

The questions I am asking (and I hope you do as well)

What kind of Christ follower are you? What are you doing to join with broken sinners and evildoers of our world?

Are you stuck in your weekly routine of comfort and coffeeshop Christianity?

To that, Claiborne offers this analysis.

“We can crawl up into the hands of God and fall asleep in the sweet aroma and cozy warmth, asleep by the fire. And so much of the world lies in the cold, clammy darkness of human suffering, oppression, inequality. My friend John Francis Maher sings a beautiful song that whispers to the groaning masses, ‘Don’t let your eyes adjust to the dark.’ Perhaps we could also add for those by the fire, ‘Don’t fall asleep in the light.’ We must neither get used to the darkness of human suffering or fall asleep in the comfort of the light.”