Radical Christianity: What does it look like?

I recently read an article about radical Islamists and started wondering what radical Christianity might look like. I'm not talking about the crazy, Westboro, Crusades or Inquisition kind of radical. I'm talking about the follow the teaching of Jesus kind of radical; the Mother Teresa, give your all for love kind of radical.

How much would the daily life of today's church going Christian have to change to be a radical follower of Jesus? What are the changes that I need to make to become a radical follower of Jesus? Does it mean that I tell everybody what Jesus teaches in the Bible? Or does it mean that I need to learn and practice what Jesus teaches in the Bible?

As a radical follower of Jesus, how much would my Facebook posts have to change?
Would my blog posts need to change?
What about my everyday speech, language and conversations?
How would my financial habits need to change?

I think of what I have saved towards retirement. Though it is not a great amount, it is a nice little nest egg. Somehow that story of the rich man that built bigger barns to hold his wealth when his life was about to be taken comes to mind and I wonder if I should have been doing more about sharing my blessings with those in need and less about storing up my stuff for the future.

I look at how we treat those around us that have different beliefs and behaviors that model their beliefs; how we treat "the sinners" and the "unclean" around us, and I see Jesus forgive without condemnation and touch a leper.

WWJD

It's been a few years since What Would Jesus Do? was a popular question to ask. Maybe we should get serious about asking it again.
The book In His Steps was written more than a hundred years ago and examines what could happen if we became such radical followers of Jesus that we experiment for a year, always asking, "What would Jesus do?"
It's a good read. You can download it for free here.

Even if you are not a follower of Jesus, I would encourage you to read what He teaches in the Bible. Just read the first four books of the New Testament. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; these are the books that follow His life and record His teachings. (The links take you to chapter 1 of each book. Use the next arrow > at the bottom to advance to the next chapter.)
If you have questions, feel free to e-mail them to me. My address is in the "about me" section to the right.

Let's start being radical followers of Jesus!

John <><

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Love Wins

I just finished reading Rob Bell's controversial book Love Wins.  (Or maybe it would be more accurate to say I just finished reading the controversial Rob Bell's book, Love Wins.)

I know that I'm a few months behind the evangelical outrage over the book, but controversy doesn't always make me stop what I'm doing and get involved.  However, it often does compel me to read books that I would not normally read just to see what has everybody's panties in a wad.

As a book -- it was an easy read, though not necessarily a good read. I found his style to be a bit of organized chaos that seemed to be like conversing with a severely ADD person that managed to stay on the same topic but wanted to convince you of his opinion by using a hundred different arguments. I've never really minded somebody questioning my beliefs (and think that it's healthy to ask questions, myself), but Bell does seem to take it to the extreme.

Many of his questions are not new.  Even many of his answers are not new.  I think that his packaging of these ideas is new ... and confusing.

The book uses a lot of scripture in defense of his answers. He says a lot of the same things that mainstream evangelicals would say; but there is too much of Bell's thoughts mixed in with the biblical teaching to be acceptable for good theology.  I don't think that I would call him a universalist, actually I don't know how I would identify his theology. It is very confusing.

I am not much of a theologian and really not qualified to give a theological defense (for or against) of Love Wins.  If you are interested in a pretty thorough (and pretty long) review, I suggest you read this review from The Gospel Coalition.

In the end, we are all responsible for our own choices.  We can let others think for us or we can think for ourselves.  I don't think that I would put down Rob Bell for his thoughts. In fact, there is much in his book that I agree with.  Perhaps, that's the danger -- a little truth mixed with a lot of conjecture.  Where does truth end and conjecture begin?

Go ahead and borrow the book from your local library if you don't have anything else to read; but guard your heart. Any book that threatens what you hold dear should be read with caution.

I will say that he chose his title well.
After all, I do believe that:

God is Love
God wins
     therefore
Love Wins

John <><

‎"Doubting everything and believing everything are equally convenient solutions that guard us from having to think."  --Henri Poincare, Of Science and Hypothesis

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