“Everything Must Change” by Brian McLaren

Someone suggested that I take a look at “Everything Must Change” by Brain McLaren. I took the weekend to read this book, and I tell you, after two highlighters, it is challenging. Not only because this appears to be his most complicated book, but it is clearly the culmination of the other books he has written. Had I not already read the New Kind of Christian series, I would have written him off as a liberal that is trashing the church and its teachings.

Instead, I believe he paints a beautiful picture of the message of Jesus and how it is still relevant for two.

Brian begins the book with 2 dominating questions:
1. What are the biggest problems in the world?
2. What does Jesus have to say about these global problems?

As he takes us on a journey of discovery, we encounter the bold truth of the suicide machine. A term Leonard Sweet gave him to describe the condition that our planet is in, constantly consuming more and producing more waste.

What we discover is that the world is in a perpetual spiral toward destruction, and it pains God. Jesus entered into this broken system to not only redeem humanity, but to redeem our planet.

Brian begins to spell out what a difference a New Kind of Christian can make:
“When groups of seemingly disparate people defect and band together in the way of Jesus, they form what we might call un-terror cells. They secretly plot detonations of hope. They quietly conspire to set of explosions of spontaneous kindness. They plan gentle coup d’etats to replace regimes of domination and oppression with movements of empowerment and service. In a complete overthrow of violent terrorism, they fly airplanes of generosity into towers of need and plant improvised encouragement devices by roadsides and in neighborhoods everywhere, seeking God’s kingdom and equity.”

He leads the whole discussion with the idea of reframing our world. It is like we are given a puzzle, but the only problem is that someone has switched the lid on us. Rather than try to force the pieces, why don’t we just get a new box lid.

I would have to agree. If we would begin to take a “new lid” or a new approach, say the Jesus approach of being Kingdom people (not just those that are awaiting heaven, but rather are people that are bring heaven’s reality to earth) then maybe, just maybe, the suicide machine could be stopped.

I, in no way, can do this book justice with this little review. I wish that I had been more in the loop and been able to attend his discussion when it rolled through town.