'Lean into the suffering of the world'

Shane Claiborne invited Baptists 'to make a fresh commitment to lean into the suffering of the world' in his address to the Assembly on Friday night

Speaking live from his home in Philadelphia, Shane shared a number of reflections from Luke 10: 29-37, the parable of the Good Samaritan, in a 20 minute talk. 

He said Jesus came to show us how to live, to teach us how to love - the Kingdom of God is something we are to bring here on earth. That means that as well as being, concerned about the transformation of hearts and conversion of souls, but we can also have a theology that engages the world. 

He pointed out the this story would not have happened if people hadn't walked down the street where people get beat up. The gravity of the Gospel pulls us towards the pain. 

He highlighted the inconvenience of interruption. Everyone in the story probably had other things to do. Many of us have very little room for that interruption to take place. 'So let's leave space for interruptions.'  

A 'scandalous' aspect of the story was that the heroes are not the people of religion - while the Samaritan may not have had his theology right, 'he had his compassion right'.

Shane also pointed out we know very little about the person in the ditch - except they are a child of God, made in the image of God. 'There life matters!' 

But after you lift so many out of suffering - you also need to begin to reimagine the whole road to Jericho - and look at the underlying causes of injustice. 

'Invite us to make a fresh commitment to lean into the suffering of the world. Allow our schedules to be interrupted by the pain and suffering of love and around us.'

Listen to the address here from 56.35.