book review vol. two

I just don't really know where to start on this one... I totally just happened to come across this book at Barnes over spring break: it had a nice looking cover, and the word "revolution" was in the title, so it caught my eye. I read the intro and the first chapter in the store that day, and walked out with a copy in my hand (which I paid for). I finished this book today and I've been looking forward to writing about it on this blog to tell the world about this amazing piece of work. I'm sure most of you have heard me talk about it already, but bear with me... maybe you'll still get something here.

The Irresistible Revolution is one of the most powerful books I've read in a long time, and I haven't read many books, so that pretty much makes it one of the best ever according to my limited knowledge. It is written by Shane Claiborne, who is just some guy, and the cool thing is that he knows it. He writes very humbly of different events that Jesus has taken him through, and what he's learned as a result. I've found myself describing the theme of this book as a guy who wrote about how he thinks that Jesus actually meant the things He said, and so the guy does his best to be obedient. Another all encompassing theme is summed up in a statement Shane makes in the first part of the book: "stop complaining about how the church is and start becoming the church that you want to see." (That one is for all you folks who are, for whatever reason, entirely disgusted by the church.)

He talks a lot about loving people who are unloved. People who are poor and homeless get lots of attention in his book (and his life!) as do various relevant issues such as politics and the like. I, as usual, do not feel that I can do this book justice, but I just cannot recommend it highly enough. I was so encouraged, and my eyes were opened a whole lot through reading it. I'm even planning on writing the author a letter, which is a first... so it must be good!