“Some Christians take so few risks, it’s no wonder folks have a hard time believing in heaven. Most of us live in such fear of death that it’s as if no one really believes in resurrection anymore. Sometimes people ask me if I am scared, living in the inner city. I usually reply, ‘I’m more scared of the suburbs.’ The Scriptures say that we should not fear those things which can destroy the body, but we are to fear that which can destroy the soul (Matt. 10:28). While the ghettos may have their share of violence and crime, the suburbs are the home of the more subtle demonic forces—numbness, complacency, comfort—and it is these that can eat away at our souls.”
- Shane Claiborne, The Irresistible Revolution
If you are anything like me, this passage is a giant wake-up call. We live in a world where we are constantly told to stay away from the inner cities, don’t talk to strangers, keep our distance from homeless people, and to enjoy a comfortable middle life with other middle-class people. This is not the life we are called to! Mr. Claiborne is absolutely correct in being more afraid of the “numbness, complacency, and comfort” that pervades much of America than the violence and crime of the ghettos. While Jesus never warned us against the dangers of places like the inner city, He certainly warned against living a life isolated from poverty and injustice.
So from this comes a challenge to all Christians: let’s stop living normal, comfortable middle lives and be more like Jesus! Let’s actively fight against apathy and numbness with a spirit of adventure and a defiance of the norm. Let’s take risks, go to the places the world tells us we shouldn’t, and spread a little (or a lot of) love.
