More Campolo

The following quote is from a 2005 discussion between Tony Campolo and Shane Claiborne. Michael Lerner's statement grabbed me, because I am one of those liberals who always backpedals a bit to keep everyone happy. But his way is so much more powerful and real, and probably the only way to truly bridge the chasm that grows between us. I am particularly reticent around friends or students who I know to be far more conservative than I am. It's surely time to be more open and honest about where I stand on the issues (in real life rather than just online...)

TC: Michael and I got arrested together. A few years back, Jim Wallis organized this demonstration in opposition to the welfare bill that was passed, and forty of us got arrested. Michael Lerner chose to get arrested with us. Were you there?

SC: No, back then I still thought good Christians didn't go to jail. Now I know better.

TC: So we got arrested, and they put us all on a bus and they took us to the police station. We're all on the bus at the police station for quite a while, because they are processing us one by one. We are all giving testimonies of how this works into our Christian faith. Finally John Engel from a missionary organization called Beyond Borders looks over and says, "Michael how do you feel about all this highly evangelical talk?" Michael says, "Oh, I don't like it when I am with liberals who just compromise everything they believe to make me feel good. I think that the way we are going to have peace and brotherhood is if you go to the core of what you believe, and I go to the core of what I believe. And when we get to the core and live it with true love and true peace, there will be a coming together in spite of our differences." That is a very powerful statement. He did not feel the least offended. What offended him was liberals who try to say there are no differences between us.