Thanks to my college friend (and fellow Spirit Force member while at Messiah) Peter Greer for sharing this article about a recent discussion that Peter and Shane Claiborne had at the American Enterprise Institute. Peter is the founder and president of Hope International, a micro-finance non-profit that works directly with the poor in a number of countries. For those who don’t know Shane Claiborne, he is the founder of the Simple Way community in Philadelphia.

The purported topic of the discussion was “Was Jesus a Communist or a Capitalist?” For their differences, Shane and Peter agreed that the answer to the question is neither. He refused to be pegged on political issues like this. Shane and Peter have different approaches, and different theologies, to be sure, but they both have a heart for the poor, and a desire to do something about it in the name of Christ. The article is worth the read, and I would also suggest watching the video (click the link, or it is embedded in the original article linked above) to hear them express their views in their own words and voice. I have not yet found a link to the full discussion, but will be sure to share it if I find it, or maybe Peter knows of one he’ll be able to share with me.