Rules for Christian Radicals

The book is out....it is available at this link at Amazon.com.      

http://www.amazon.com/Rules-Christian-Radicals-Clifford-Williams/dp/0615624847/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1333873217&sr=8-5

In the dimming light of day Pastors and parishioners move slowly. Why isn’t it functioning and why are some many leaving the church? I see a crowd pointing at various effects while the reason is hidden in plain sight. Dusty knees and sweaty brows, both pastors and pewsters indicate real concern.

Jesus above them on the cross is the key, yet still unused. They do not believe. They cannot. It is too simple, too costly. They pause to consider but soon go back to moving furniture for the missing element not feeling Him hover. He lingers in view, the only light in the room.

 The cross sounds trite. It is passé to say “All you need is love.” Sacrificial living sounds very lofty, assigned to Protestant saints: ten Boom and Wurmbrand. If I point to the commands to love God and your neighbor, each nod in zombie-like agreement. Everyone appears to know but it doesn’t add up. If we know the value of love, what is the problem?

Rules for Christian Radicals, an obvious steal from the book Rules for Radicals by Saul Alinski, points out how to overcome the Church’s ineffectiveness. The book deals primarily with the model of sacrificial living not as a great idea but as a mandate.

The ideas of this book are practical and doable. It deals with the costs and challenges. This book also helps individuals develop a plan to carry out this mission. In order to further the reader’s experiential knowledge they need to network. This network is called Operation Deluge at www.delugeop.com. This is a site where there are FAQ’s, stories shared, and wisdom given by those who serve as generals in the unseen army of sacrificial lovers.

Love On I'ts Head

We can help men and women like him.

If a dog has no owner and is cold outside, you bring him in and give him help. When there is a person cold and wet outside your door you call the cops? Is this really who we are?

I know people can be scary and dangerous. We see the news and the horrible things that happen. If someone comes to your door, I can see you really might not want to let them in. I get that. But when would we help? How bad off does the person need to be?

I know we have been conditioned. We have a refined fear that has been developed over our years of experiences and media. But I tell you, this blade cuts both ways. When we are in need people tend to look at us strangely, yes they do. They wonder what our angle is and if we can be trusted.

When faced with a decision to help, we do a quick in-perceivable calculation in our mid. It is a risk benefit analysis. "What will happen to me?", "What will I get?"; are very natural questions to ask. No wonder we do not help others. We understand very quickly upon completion of the mental calculation that we will get a kick in the pants and be out some time and money.

However, I believe most of our persona l"prophesies of doom" never are realized. This ought to teach us something. We simply feel security is more valuable, than a minor risk; than the benefits of attempting to help a person. Even if the person we help doesn't hurt us we are still afraid. But maybe only scared they may annoy us or interrupt our valuable lives. The one we help is truly the only beneficiary. I know you may still wonder "What is in it for me?"