Jesus for President.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger      3 comments      link this post     


The book, besides being beautifully designed and visual astounding, is direct and harsh.

Good.

I can't get it out of my mind, because even though some things I may not have swallowed whole, I realized very much that Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw were putting into words the things I have been struggling with increasingly over the years: The church and politics (and no, the book doesn't urge support or give a free pass to either party). What is the church. What about the poor.

Topics like that. Things I've not fully been able to honestly say have been dealt with in my own life.

Jesus For President: Politics for ordinary radicals has the potential to make angry those with minds locked into stone and tradition, and rip open the hearts of those who already sensed something is very amiss with how we "do church" now. This is a book for those who like Jesus but don't want to be a Christian because they think they have to become a member of the Republican party in order to follow Christ.

Claiborne talks about more than just politics and the church. He very directly calls the reader on what our consumerism and American lifestyle translates into for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world. He covers everything from the culture of Jesus to our culture of waste, from global economy to eating locally produced food and items. He talks about resources, sustainability, the "enough" policy vs. rampant "gotta have more", and...sweatshops.

I have a friend in Nicaragua who I've started to help support. She works in a sweatshop. It's a terrible job. I'm so proud of her for working and earning money, but it's a terrible job that is destroying her health. When we go to Nicaragua, we often buy clothes on sale and take them down to distribute. Imagine my horror when, pawing through the clearance racks at Old Navy for skirts and shirts, I found a shirt with a label that said "Made in Nicaragua."

She might not have made that shirt. Chances are good that she didn't. But what was I doing? In search of the cheapest stuff, we are encouraging corporations to find slave-like labor to feed the American appetite for "cheaper, and more." How horrible it would be to bring down clothes to give to the people who, in agonizing conditions for low pay, made them. Claiborne provides so much material in this book, ranging from scripture to anecdotes to suggested alternatives.

Obviously, some of the things Claiborne suggests in the realm of what we buy aren't going to work as well in the middle of nowhere North Dakota as they do in the heart of Philadelphia. Handmade sandals, from recycled rubber, mean that about six months out of the year my toes are going to turn black and fall off. However, that is not the point. And there are things we do -- deliberate choices in what we do and do not buy or support -- that can answer as an alternative to some of the ways Claiborne is personally putting his convictions in action. In general, we need to be deliberate and not thoughtless. Americans are thoughtless, and are trained to keep an eye on the bottom line which is, essentially, a focus on "cheaper to buy so I can buy more."

I'm not giving this book a fair review. It hit me like a wall, and I need to read it again. All I can say is that you should read it, and that you ought to be prepared for the message. Unlike most Christian books which tell you how to find power, control and blessings in life, this book isn't going to make you feel warm and fuzzy and give you six easy steps to do it. It is, instead, a call to pulling back the curtain and seeing the wizard for the first time.

This is a book that needs to be read. If you want to be like a lot of Christians and get all hung up on "right theology" and play that old "discern and debate" game, fine. But for those of you who have felt like something is not right and you know American consumer culture is not Christian and you are uneasy about something you've not been able to put your finger on, read this book.


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Copyright (c) Julie R. Neidlinger      4/17/2008 02:08:00 PM      (3) comments      Links to this post    

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3 Comments:

If you liked this book, I would also very highly recommend Claiborne's first book- The Irresistible Revolution. It covers not only politics and consumerism, but the irrationality of Christians supporting unjust wars and the absurdity of many "Christian" ideologies and practices of today. Amazing book.

By Blogger oldtranslations, at April 18, 2008 12:11 PM  

Hey Julie,
Quick question. I write for the NDSU paper, and I've wanted to tackle the issue of politics in the church for quite a while. I really liked your specific example of your Nicaraguan friend and her indirect involvement with the American lifestyle. So, I was wondering if it would be all right to quote you in an article. I would like to use your example, because it is about 105% better than any sort of example that I could come up with. I would give you credit for it, obviously, but I thought I would ask your permission before it goes out.

By Blogger oldtranslations, at April 27, 2008 2:30 AM  

By all means, have at it. Use whatever you'd like.

By Blogger Julie R. Neidlinger, at April 27, 2008 7:49 AM  

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