A night with Shane Clairborne

Last night I had the privilege of hearing Shane Claiborne speak. It was a last minute thing that Apex was able to get him for the night..and it wasn't without some controversy. He was originally to speak at Cedarville but they cancelled because he is "too radical" Even on Monday morning, the elders and ministers were receiving emails from people with the same concerns. The only thing I can guess is that these people have never actually heard or spoke to Shane. He started off the night saying with emotion in his voice that "he doesn't like when people don't get along." He has a very soft spoken voice with a southern accent from his upbringing in eastern Tennessee. He laughs at his own stories which made me laugh. He is a tall man but a beanpole and he makes his own clothes because he loves to sew and I'm guessing he would have a terrible time finding clothes to fit :)
Many of his stories are from his book , "The Irresistible Revolution". He talks about his time with Mother Teresa. He talks about his times on the streets of Philadelphia.
He talks about his time in Iraq. The thing that stood out the most to me..he loves people. He lives out a life as a disciple for Christ. He doesn't just talk about it..he lives it. He is a humble man with a huge heart and passion for the poor.
There was a time for communion which was very touching. There were at least 800 if not more there and quietly we all went to the front and took a small piece of bread and dipped it in the juice. There was a short question and answer period where you could text your questions to a cell phone number and then they put them on the screen for him to answer. The first question was," What are in your front pockets?" :) His pants have these 2 large pockets in the front. He has his bible in one and his wallet in the other because "he's heard you can get back problems from carrying your wallet in the back" He had 2 smaller pockets above them that he puts various things like "sidewalk chalk" The second question was "What is his thorn that keeps him humble?." He didn't go into detail but did state the importance of friends who keep you accountable. He actually brought his friend Chris with him. Chris was one of his roommates and also spent time in India with Mother Teresa. Chris talked briefly about his time ministering to the dying. The last question was "Who are your modern day heroes?" ..he has 2, John Perkins who is a civil rights activist and "is about 80 yrs old and can say whatever he wants" and Rich Mullins.
He had buttons that they make at Simple Way that had various sayings..."Jesus was a homeless man", "Jesus for President"(the name of the book he and Chris wrote which comes out in March) and "Love Your Enemy" just to name a few.
If you would like to hear his talk, Apex will have it on their website or you can get it through the Apex podcast on iTunes.