Shane Claiborne of and Andrew Hanauer, campaigns director for , will kick off a new partnership between the two organizations with a visit to 草莓社区 (EMU) in Harrisonburg, Virginia, on Wednesday, Sept. 14. The day鈥檚 events will focus on a Christian view of economics that includes people and groups on the margins.
鈥淎s they started looking at where they wanted to launch this campaign, they chose us as the first site,鈥� Director of Campus Ministries says. 鈥淭hey wanted a place where they thought the message would resonate.鈥�
It will be at least the third time Claiborne has , most recently in 2013. Burkholder says that Claiborne鈥攁 noted author, speaker and activist whose books include 鈥淛esus for President鈥� and 鈥淭he Irresistible Revolution鈥濃�� 鈥渃onnects well鈥� with the EMU community and with EMU鈥檚 mission.
鈥淗is theology and his take on faithful living resonates pretty deeply with Anabaptist theology and yet encourages and challenges us,鈥� Burkholder says. 鈥淚t moves us beyond complacency.鈥�
Claiborne and Hanauer will both share during the , a public forum with Q&A at 7 p.m. in Lehman Auditorium. They will address the theme 鈥淛ubilee: The Bible鈥檚 Vision for a Just Economy.鈥�
Hanauer will also speak at a chapel service on 鈥淛ubilee Economics鈥� at 10 a.m., followed by a talk-back session with Claiborne over lunch, and Claiborne will share with the campus community at a dinner gathering focused on 鈥淒oing What Jesus Said鈥� at 5 p.m. Hanauer will join Claiborne again for a late-evening residence hall dialogue time.
Claiborne鈥檚 work with Red Letter Christians鈥攁n organization he founded with prominent Christian speaker Tony Campolo 鈥渢o take Jesus seriously by endeavoring to live out His radical, counter-cultural teachings as set forth in Scripture鈥濃�攁nd with community in Philadelphia meshes well with Jubilee USA Network鈥檚 emphasis on 鈥渂uilding an economy that serves, protects and promotes participation of the most vulnerable.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 apparent now that the inequity between the super-rich and super-poor is one of the most pressing ethical issues of our time,鈥� Claiborne says. 鈥淎ll of that looks very different from the patterns of scripture. A lot of us, particularly people of faith, know that the world doesn鈥檛 have to be this way.鈥�
EMU was a natural place to launch the initiative, he says, because it is an institution 鈥渒nown for its work with things like reconciliation and doing something about racial injustice.鈥�
As for Jubilee USA鈥攁 coalition of more than 650 US organizations, faith communities and global partners鈥擟laiborne provides a known and respected voice that can raise their visibility and draw greater attention to Jubilee USA鈥檚 work, especially on college campuses.
鈥淭hey want to engage with Christian young adults around the idea of jubilee economics鈥攄ebt reduction and all kinds of things about reshaping policy around kingdom economics,鈥� Burkholder says. 鈥淚ncluding Shane in the campaign means more interest and a higher level of engagement.鈥�
It鈥檚 also a 鈥渦nique opportunity,鈥� Burkholder adds, for business students and others to explore the relationship between the areas of business and economics and the areas of faith, an intersection that doesn鈥檛 always receive a great deal of attention.
Business Department chair J notes, 鈥淭he core message of Claiborne and Jubilee USA resonates with EMU鈥檚 perspective on business as a holistic social enterprise that has the potential to serve the common good.鈥�