A Few Words on Shane Claiborne

I had the chance to hear Shane Claiborne, the author of The Irresistible Revolution and coauthor of Jesus For President, speak tonight at Lipscomb University in Nashville.  For the most part, I had to agree with (and was convicted by) the general concepts that he presented.  His ideas are quite simple and are based on the Biblical commandments to love God and love your neighbor.  I do have a few observations, however.  Feel free to discuss them, as they are all relatively fresh on my mind.  I will revise them as I think more about the subject.

1) Is free market capitalism really such a bad idea after all?  The introduction video to his message seemed to look down upon those who participate in the stock market (targeting Wall Street as a societal problem?).  Are not investment and smart money management considered to be wise actions?  A great example of the good that can come of such an economic system is none other than the work of Bill Gates himself.  For instance, did you know that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has generated $38.7 billion in dowry for the worldwide enhancement of healthcare and to work toward eliminating extreme poverty?  Do you think that such a generous donation could be possible in a different economic system?  I guess my point is, even though some rich people make entirely wrong and greedy decisions with their wealth, that is no excuse to throw out the entire economic machine.  The problem isn’t with statistics, or who has what, but rather with how those use what they have.  Unfortunately, you can’t force people to do good things.  And why should you even expect non-Christian people to behave like perfect Christians?  It seems nonsensical to expect such.

2) Should I feel bad about living modestly and frugally as a stereotypical middle class, white American?  I believe that I can be a good example of Christianity to others by a) giving generously without living extravagantly and b) managing what I do have well and being a good steward of what has been given to me by God.  I mean, what kind of husband would I be if I generously gave away more money than we had and missed electricity bill or rent payments?  To me, it’s not as much an issue about every single person selling everything and living as a ragamuffin community, but it’s about the heart of each and every individual.  I just don’t believe that Jesus’s command to the rich young ruler to sell all that he had, give it to the poor, and follow Him was a direct command to every Christian.  The point of the passage is that the young man had his priorities set on wealth and things.  If you find that most of your resources are being spent selfishly, perhaps it would be a good time to reevaluate your giving.  For instance, instead of buying that guitar loop station you’ve always wanted (yeah, I’m pointing the finger at me…ouch), consider giving a $300 check to missions, or better yet spend it or use it to directly impact the lives of those who you come into contact with on a regular basis.  It’s not really sacrificial giving if there is no personal sacrifice involved.  Sacrifice WANTS though, not NEEDS.  God provides our needs, and sometimes even our wants, but true contentment cannot be found in wanting or having, only in giving and sharing.  It’s a crazy paradox of life that I’m learning more and more about the longer I live.

3) It seemed to me tonight that Claiborne was not an advocate of pure socialism.  Many do not seem to understand his viewpoint, which is that Christians should consider living socially in order to accomplish more for Christ’s kingdom on Earth.  Sometimes the lines do blur though, so perhaps he would do well to define his ideals a bit more clearly.  I plan on reading one or two of his books in the near future to try and grasp just what he imagines Christian communities to be like.

Basically, I don’t believe that democracy and free market capitalism are inherently bad. Perhaps Claiborne does, I’m not sure.  If he does, he’s welcome to disagree.  Certainly America’s economic system does allow for some bad things to happen, yet it also allows for some really good things to happen as well.  It all depends on the good, or bad, people who participate in the system.  On a personal level though, I do think that we should take careful consideration about what things we value, and that’s where I am challenged by Claiborne.  I want others to look at me and my wife and not see just more “greedy Americans” but rather wise stewards who choose to willingly give abundantly to those who have greater needs.