If you haven't heard, AIM publishes an online magazine called Wrecked for the Ordinary. It grew from a theme that we were seeing in some of our short-term missionaries, coming back from the field and claiming that their lives were "ruined by Jesus."
Shane Claiborne mentions the same kind of theme running through his life in The Irresistible Revolution. Instead of Christ coming into his heart and making "all things right," he really turned everything upside-down, like those money-changing tables in the temple.
Something in America isn't quite right – we have our SUV's, TiVo, and retirement plans, and yet, many of us still feel like we're missing out, like we've lost our hearts and won't ever see them again. We have everything put together, and we're just begging for a Savior to come tear down our castles of sand. I've had a suspicion for awhile that I wasn't the only one out there who was feeling a little "uncomfortable with comfort," as Claiborne says.
This discontent with the American dream has really been the sign of a deeper dream at work: the coming of the kingdom. There's a remnant rising up – a pack of hungry lions who aren't settling, who are really going for it, putting their hand to the plow and not looking back.
Jesus said that the kingdom is within you, so don't go looking around for it. Instead, be the kingdom of God. "Bring heaven down to earth, and let it loose" was essentially what he was telling Peter.
This week has been one of the best issues of Wrecked that I've seen in a long time. It's taken a few months, but the editing team has really built something quality with contributors from all around the globe. They're all saying the same thing: "The kingdom is here."
The articles range from World Racers bringing mercy to Mozambique to the ecclesiology of TV sitcoms to a visit by a college student to the Simple Way in Philadelphia. It's not an AIM magazine; it's a Jesus magazine, open to anyone who wants to tell a story. And the central theme is action. There's a lot of websites out there complaining about issues but not really doing anything to solve them. We want to be different.
It's a place where others who have been "wrecked" can come and tell their tale. The story of redemption is one told by fishermen, lepers, nuns, widows, ministers, beggars, writers, preachers, vagrants, prostitutes, businessmen, nurses, and so many more. Wrecked does a good job of giving them a forum to tell it.
I dare you to visit the website and let your heart be moved to action. That may mean serving overseas this summer instead of going on a "normal" vacation, sponsoring an orphan in the third world instead of buying a couple extra cappuccinos, or starting your own faith community instead of falling asleep in church. Don't limit yourself. Things can be different.
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