Shane Claiborne quotes

Over and over, when I ask God why all of these injustices are allowed to exist in the world, I can feel the Spirit whisper to me, "You tell me why we allow this to happen. You are my body, my hands, my feet." (Shane Claiborne)
And I think that's what our world is desperately in need of - lovers, people who are building deep, genuine relationships with fellow strugglers along the way, and who actually know the faces of the people behind the issues they are concerned about. View quote
Shane Claiborne
The more I get to know Jesus, the more trouble he seems to get me into. View quote
Shane Claiborne
I learned more about God from the tears of homeless mothers than any systematic theology ever taught me. View quote
Shane Claiborne
There are some things to die for but none to kill for. View quote
Shane Claiborne
We do need to be born again, since Jesus said that to a guy named Nicodemus. But if you tell me I have to be born again to enter the Kingdom of God, I can tell you that you have to sell everything you have and give it to the poor, because Jesus said that to one guy, too. But I guess that's why God invented highlighers, so we can highlight the parts we like and ignore the rest. View quote
Shane Claiborne
Only Jesus would be crazy enough to suggest that if you want to become the greatest, you should become the least. Only Jesus would declare God's blessing on the po0r rather than on the rich and would insist that it's not enough to just love your friends. I just began to wonder if anybody still believed Jesus meant those things he said. View quote
Shane Claiborne
Mother Theresa always said, "Calcuttas are everywhere if only we have eyes to see. Find your Calcutta.”. View quote
Shane Claiborne
I heard one of the teaching pastors at Willow Creek speak on the rich young ruler text that Rich (Mullins) had talked about in Wheaton's chapel. The teaching pastor had said, "now this doesn't mean you have to go sell your rollerblades and golf clubs," and he went on to "contextualize" the teaching to show that we just need to be careful not to make idols of our things. I wasn't so sure about that. Jesus doesn't tell the man to be a better steward, or to treat his workers fairly, or not to make money an idol. He tells this highly educated and devoutly religious young man that he lacks one thing: giving up everything he owns to give the poor. View quote
Shane Claiborne
Rocking the vote may mean going to the booths and writing in our Candidate, because he doesn't seem to be on the ballot. View quote
Shane Claiborne
So if the world hates us, we take courage that it hated Jesus first. If you're wondering whether you'll be safe, just look at what they did to Jesus and those who followed him. There are safer ways to live than by being a Christian. (Shane Claiborne)
How ironic is it to see a bumper sticker that says 'Jesus is the answer' next to a bumper sticker supporting the war in Iraq, as if to says 'Jesus is the answer - but not in the real world. View quote
Shane Claiborne
I'm just not convinced that Jesus is going to say, "When I was hungry, you gave a check to the United Way and they fed me. View quote
Shane Claiborne
To refer to the Church as a building is to call people 2 x 4's. View quote
Shane Claiborne
Dance until they kill you, and then we'll dance some more. View quote
Shane Claiborne
To all my nonbelieving, sort-of-believing, and used-to-be-believing friends: I feel like I should begin with a confession. I am sorry that so often the biggest obstacle to God has been Christians. View quote
Shane Claiborne
The work of community, love, reconciliation, restoration is the work we cannot leave up to politicians. This is the work we are all called to do. View quote
Shane Claiborne
We are setting ourselves up for disappointment if our hope is built on anything less than Jesus. View quote
Shane Claiborne
I engage with local politics because it affects people I love. And I engage in national politics because it affects people I love. View quote
Shane Claiborne
... I believe in a God of scandalous grace. I have pledged allegiance to a King who loved evildoers so much he died for them, teaching us that there is something worth dying for but nothing worth killing for. View quote
Shane Claiborne
When the church takes affairs of the state more seriously than they do Jesus, Pax Romana becomes its gospel and the president becomes the Son of God. (Shane Claiborne)
I remember hearing about an old comic strip back in the days of St. Ed's. Two guys are talking to each other, and one of them says he has a question for God. He wants to ask why God allows all of this poverty and war and suffering to exist in the world. And his friend says, "Well, why don't you ask?" The fellow shakes his head and says he's scared. When his friend asks why, he mutters, "I'm scared God will ask me the same question." View quote
Shane Claiborne
I must say that I am still passionately pro-life, I just have a much more holistic sense of what it means to be for life, knowing that life does not just begin at conception and end at birth, and that if I am going to discourage abortion, I had better be ready to adopt some babies and care for some mothers. View quote
Shane Claiborne
I guess God can use the mafia, but I would like God to use the church. View quote
Shane Claiborne
We were not interested in a Christianity that offered these families only mansions and streets of golds in heaven when all they wanted was a bed for their kids now. And many Christians had an extra one. View quote
Shane Claiborne