Everything Must Change

i bought this book, because i buy most brian mclaren books. i am always hoping that his thoughts and ideas will challenge me or help give me words to explain my thoughts and emotions that have evoked doing ministry over the years and bring clarity to my mission and purpose as a follower of christ. i know many people dislike brian and that is ok and it seems ok with him. it seems he has chosen to spend his time going forward than trying to defend himself to everyone who seems to be against him. i am glad to say that for some people that i meet that do have issues with him most are pretty open to dialogue about the ideas he brings up. others love to throw simple comments instead of sitting down over coffee and sharing a difference of opinion but being able to keep a great christian friendship, but that is ok also.

this book, "everything must change" has caught me of guard though. it truly has gotten myself thinking about the societal structures in our world and my place in building them up or my place in bringing them down. he makes a comment that

"for some of we are happy going through life knowing as little as possible about economics, politics and ecology. As long as we pay our credit card bill, avoid going to jail, and enjoy a cold drink, we'd rather not deal with the complexities of the societal machinary around us."

he nailed me! this was a perfect description of me for so many years, but over the last few years i have taken small steps into the waters of some of these areas. i think i have taken small steps because i am afraid of the changes that i would need to make to fully take the plunge. ecspecially, when my thinking and ideas run smack dab into the way i like to live my life some times. i think i also have walked slower, because i have issues with how people perceive me. i must admit that i like people to like me. lol. and since as i tread into the waters on these issues, many of the people that "liked me" seem to not like me. because i seem to land on the opposite side of them and than they would like to just get in arguments with me and call me names. but as i read this book and have dialogues with others on the topic i am truly challenged to walk forward and not care what people think. i already have no desire to defend myself to people who are not willing to share a true friendship first and than talk. i just do not have time or the energy for that anyway . i have two boys and barely have enough energy to be a single dad and very little energy to wait for that right girl to land my way. haha.

i do not post much, but maybe this book will push me over here a little more. but i am on facebook! so you can visit me there! lol if i do post again on this it will be about "framing stories". a little more confusion from j-lou. peace.