Comments on: Spread the Word!

By: Scott

Scott — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:32:39 +0000

thanks jamie, timely response.

By: jamie

jamie — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 02:10:08 +0000

Hi Scott,
Perhaps I could better communicate this isn’t a propaganda movie for Christians by Christians. I don’t personally identify as Christian and we hope people of any faith perspective will find these stories inspiring. I’d venture to guess the majority of people in the world aren’t familiar with these names or the wide spectrum of perspective we’re pulling from on this movie–again, this isn’t just for Christians such as yourself.
I’d also suggest you look into the folks you don’t know a little more– they’re nuns in desolated urban areas, house painters, homeless people and a handful of authors and musicians thrown in. With more than 50 interviews so far and going on one year in the making, it’s difficult to address the scope of people in this movie. **Keep in mind its not finished yet.
Anywhoo, thanks for your concern Scott. If you read further on the blog, you’ll note there are other posts addressing this issue by good friends of ours who ask the same question and help to inspire us further. Thanks to you too for that.
Warmly,
~jamie

By: Scott

Scott — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:33:51 +0000

i guess some of us don’t get it. a project about ordinary people boasting some of the biggest names in the recent movements, promotions of book tours, christian celebrities. seems to me the list of the heavy weights that are behind this project are anything but “ordinary radicals”.

Among the names I noticed Tony Campolo – the man I would elect pope if anyone cared about my opinion. It is hard to overstate my regard for Tony, it is the closest thing to hero worship I can admit to. The blog is an advertisement for the upcoming documentary and as it lists, features Interviews with: Becky Garrison, Shane Claiborne, Jim Wallis, Brian McLaren, Tony Campolo, Rob Bell, John Perkins, Brooke Sexton, Michael Heneise, St. Margret McKenna, Logan Laituri, Zack Exley, Aaron Weiss and many more Ordinary Radicals.

When I read a list like that, though admittedly I do not know who a few of the people are, I am frustrated by the absolute “un-ordinary-ness” of the people it is about. Several of the people on the list are international superstars in the religious world, have been on “The Colbert Report” and any number of high profile talk shows and television appearances. Most of the above names are regulars on the conference circuit. They are highly educated and enjoy flexibility and some notoriety. Wallis is the founder of Sojourners, a prolific author, and teaches at Harvard. Campolo was a personal adviser to Clinton and a protégé of Albert Einstein. Claiborne is the flavor of the month. McLaren is considered by most to be the foremost spokesman for the emerging church. Bell has been tagged by some in the press to be “the next Billy Graham”. The list goes on.

Though I genuinely laud the intentions for such projects it is simply symptomatic of the problem in North American faith and culture. We cannot seem to get beyond the love affair we have with celebrity culture. Even in a climate of anti-heroes we are easily infatuated with the cult of personality. It is a sad fact that very few people who pretend to speak for the average Joe have ever lived like him. Few of our leaders can truly understand the crushing grind of a lifetime of thankless labor for insufficient money. They do not know what it is like to only have two weeks of vacation a year. They are, after all, on a book tour, or “ministering” in Thailand and conferencing in the Bahamas.

By: Lyston Peebles

Lyston Peebles — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:12:16 +0000

Sorry about my spelling in that last post. I am so excited to connect, I didn’t spell check!!

By: Lyston Peebles

Lyston Peebles — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:08:51 +0000

I am encouraged that the young are getting it. I look forward to knowing more about you. I have been a disciple of Jesus ( through Tony and Jim ) they dont know me for 30-40 years. At 61, and in love with the poor for over 40 years, I have been called a freak, one of those “few” call to social justice. I have been called a profet and I have said damn it I dont want to be a profet, I want to be apart of an army. This is happening and hasnt for most of the last 25-30 years are the chuch has been so misguided. I am blessed. I will see you in raleigh in July!! Some of my projects can be seen in Cherokee Gives Back at http://www.cherokeefund.com I will meet you also, as Friend will be a Freshman at Eastern in the fall

By: MJ

MJ — Thu, 29 May 2008 15:21:10 +0000

Wow after creating my own banner for your guys, I find this while surfing at work (opps) So first thing when I get home, I am going to place the above Banner on my site. I have just a few banners inwhich deserve spot light ha on my site. ha Shane’s The Simply Way and this one, and another.

Well thanks for your work and living examples of what a ‘radical’ for love is.

M.Jordan Jr.
http://www.myspace.com/michael_jordan_jr
http://www.youtube.com/mjpunk1234