An Army of Normal Folks - Meet The Ordinary Radicals

Episode Date: August 7, 2026

What if the most radical thing you could do was just show up? In this Shop Talk, Bill and Alex dive into Shane Claiborne's book The Irresistible Revolution - and the idea that changing the world has never required extraordinary people. Just ordinary ones who refuse to look away. They talk about what it really means to let your life answer the question, why the most important move you can make is toward broken places instead of away from them, and what it looks like when normal folks stop asking "why doesn't someone do something?" and start asking "what can I do?" This one isn't a call to be louder or more impressive. It's a reminder that the life you're already living might be exactly the one the world needs. ARMY ACTIONS Subscribe to the podcast and rate & review us! Signup to join the Army, visit NormalFolks.org Follow us on social media @ArmyofNormalFolks Join or start an ANF local service club at https://normalfolks.org/service-clubs/ Take The 10 Level Challenge, "the hero's journey for service" at 10LevelChallenge.org  Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#joinSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey, everybody, it's Bill Courtney with an army of normal folks. Welcome into the shop. Shop talk number 115. What's up? What's up, Bill? How are you looking for anything special? Just hanging out today in the shop. Still looking for cigars and women.

Well, God. Okay. A woman, singular. This is a family establishment. All right, so I don't know. Do you have a girlfriend right now? No, I don't. Did you get dumped?

No, not this time. I've experienced the full spectrum of the... Actually, you want to hear some funny? I don't think we've talked about us in the shop before. This guy, Chris Williamson, he said on his podcast that, like, dating at my age is like... Tell her by how old you are. All right, so I'm 37. And you got 19 children.

Four. Okay. All right. So, like, when you're young, like you and Lisa, like when you start off and you have nothing, it's like building a house together. So you're starting the house from scratch. You're deciding all the furniture. That's going to go in the house together

and you're basically building this house or this life together. But when you're my age, you already have all this furniture in your house. And you're trying to find the exact lamp that will fit with all the furniture. That's the metaphor for all the junk you bring

into a relationship at your age. Yeah. And the other person, right? So you're both trying to find the exact lamp that can fit in. Hard to find. Yeah. Anyways, I'm having fun. Okay. Not with dating in life. I got it. We got a bed bill tomorrow with 40 or 50 people coming in Oxford. What are you doing? We're doing a bed bill for sleeping out and police. That's awesome. That's, I'm still having fun. All right. Let's get roll. You know, you would think with thousands and thousands and thousands and

thousands of people listening, there's got to be somebody out there that's around 35 to 40 years old that is moderately interested in meeting me. I guess not. I guess not. They looked me up and I said that dude is ugly. I ain't dealing with that dude. He's a bloody do-gooder, as Mike was saying. All right, let's get to the actual time.

All right, everybody, this shop talk number 115. We are talking about ordinary radicals. The subtitle is, this shop talk is inspired by Shane Claybourne's book, The Irresistible Revolution, living is an ordinary radical um hold on i know that you don't have to keep telling me the producer situation and this is driving me crazy we'll get to this after the break but first

our shop talk history lesson for the day what happened 150 years ago Alex and please don't laugh while you're saying something horrible yeah because last time you were dying laughing when you said that Titanic sunk. It was a horrible look, and I'm offended. Okay. What year was 115 years ago, Bill?

That would have been 1890. No, 1911. Okay. So the first guy to reach the South Pole, Rwild's Amundsen. Jeez, my. I thought that was like Ernest Shackleford or something, the whole endurance story. Nope. Okay.

The first Indianapolis 500. Hold it. 115 years ago was the first Indy 500. Yeah. What they do, run it on donkeys? The discovery of Machu Picchu. What is that? You don't know what Machu Picchu is?

No. Are you serious? No, Machu Picchu? That's your next trip with Lisa. What is it? Oh, gosh. I'm going to have to pull up a picture of this for you. What do we got?

Oh, oh, oh, oh, yes. I do know what that is. I just didn't know that's what it's called. I've seen this picture. Oh, it's incredible, isn't it? Yeah. It's beautiful. For everybody y'all need to Google M-A-C.

C-H-U-P-I-C-C-H-U-M-C-H-U-B-H-U- You're going to sound like such an idiot to our listeners. I understand. I am an idiot. And plus, this happened, what, in 1890? 1911, I remember. 115 years ago. Anything else 150 years ago worth discussing? Oh, yeah, I forgot this one.

The Mona Lisa was stolen. The Mona. Are you kidding? From the Lou. Was it really? Yeah. Was, hey, was it part? The theft made international headlines for two years and transformed the painting from a

respected masterpiece into arguably the most famous work of art. I didn't know that that the theft of it made it. I didn't know that either. It makes a sense though because it's really not a great thing in the Louvre a year ago where they broke in and stole a bunch of stuff. Was the Mona Lisa part of that? Was it stolen it again? I think people have like thrown blood at it though and stuff protesters in recent years. Yeah. Yeah. 115 years ago the Mona Lisa was so it was gone for two years. It's overrated just like hush puppies. Hush puppies are not overrated. We talked about that in a recent episode with Ron Sparks. You are a loser, Yanky, if you think hush puppies are overrated.

So is the Mona Lisa. All right, let's go. All right. Shop talk number 115, ordinary radicals, right after these brief messages from our generous sponsors. Eating well shouldn't be complicated, but somehow it turns into recipes, prep, cleanup, and half your Sunday gone. Factor solves all that. These are fresh, ready to eat meals to say.

designed by dieticians, delivered to your door, and ready in just minutes. No prep, no cleanup, no excuses. And it's not just about convenience. You're getting real food, balanced nutrition, and zero artificial stuff. Meals that help you stay on track for all of your goals, without the grind of doing it all yourself. Grilled chicken, roasted veggies, steak plates, postables. They taste like something you get in a restaurant, but they come out of your microwave in two minutes flat. If time, cost, or effort have been holding you back from eating better, Factor just took those off the table. Right now, get 11 free meals and free shipping. Hurry, this offer won't last long. Go to factormeels.ca and use code fit. That's 11 free meals and free shipping, but only with

the code fit at factormeals.ca. Factor, Canada's number one ready-to-eat meal delivery service. Get Bell Pure Fiber Internet with Crave, Netflix, and Disney Plus from $94 a month. Price guaranteed for two years on internet with a two-year term and auto pay credit. Visit bell.com. details and to check availability. Bell. Connection is everything. What's up, fam? I'm sports journalist Ari Chambers. Hey, what's up y'all? It's your girl, Sam J. And we're the host of everyone watches women's sports, a new podcast from Together and I Heart Women's Sports. Because let's be real. Women's sports is giving us way too much to talk about these days. So Kelsey Finler, she became the first female solo rower to go from California to

Hawaii. My first thought is, like, what's up with the snacks? Like, what are we eating? The highlights, the rivalries, the breakout stars, the moments to take over your entire timeline. In the conversations that start during the game and somehow keep going all week, every week, we're breaking down the biggest stories across women's sports. Naomi Osaka showing out

she beat. Sabalinka. Shout out to you, Naomi. You get the palm, for that. Because we're not just interested in what happened, we're interested in why everyone's talking about it. Because everyone watches women's sports. Listen to everyone watches women's sports on the IHeart Radio app. Apple Podcast. or wherever you get your podcast.

Hey, this is Hayes Davenport. And Sean Clements. We host the podcast, Hollywood Handbook. Every episode we're trying to help our guests improve their careers by mainly focusing on how they can help us improve our careers. The show is famously super accessible so you can easily jump into any of our 650 episodes and understand what's going on. We recommend some of our recent episodes with Ben Stiller.

The definition of what is a movie has kind of changed anywhere, too, right? What do you think it is now? It's images and words being spoken, captured by some sort of technology. Danny McBride He loves Nova. Oh, that's fantastic. And you make it on, you make your own. That's great. I call him Terro Reed.

It's a good name. They're all named after cast members of American Pie. Yeah. I call, I don't, I never looked up if she was in this, but I call him Leachie Sobieski. Yeah, I don't think she was an American Pie, but I still like that. Haven't looked it up. She was prominent around the same time.

Yeah. Then Mary Steenbergin. Why are you guys talking to me? I'm worried. I'm worried. Why are you talking so down to me that you think I don't understand your little play game? I just really, I get it. I'm trying to set you up for success here.

Listen to Hollywood Handbook on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Okay, everybody, welcome back to the shop. Shop Talk number 115 Ordinary Radicals. This shop talk is inspired by Shane Claiborne's book, The Irresistible Revolution, Living as an ordinary radical. Shane Claiborne completely redefines what it means to be radical. When we hear that word, we usually picture someone loud, someone extreme, someone making headlines. But Shane says, that's not how Jesus changed the world.

Jesus Revolution wasn't led by celebrities, politicians, or people with impressive resumes. It was led by fishermen, tax collectors, women, carpenters, neighbors. ordinary people who simply loved in extraordinary ways. That's why Shane calls them ordinary radicals. I love that phrase because it reminds me so much of what we're trying to build with an army of normal folks, not an army of superheroes, not an army of experts, an army of ordinary people who decide to live extraordinary lives by simply doing what they can. Shane cites the scripture passage of John the Baptist sitting in prison.

He sends his disciples to Jesus with one question. Are you really the one we've been waiting for? Jesus could have simply answered, sure, yep, that's me. Instead, he says, go back and tell John what you see in here. The blind received sight, the lame walked, the poor hear good news. Shane points out something beautiful. Jesus let his life, i.e. his actions, answer the question. He didn't ask people to believe his claims first. He invited them to notice the trail he was leaving behind, healing, hope, restoration, compassion. Then Shane asked questions that challenges us all. If someone asked whether we were followers or Jesus, or, if you're not a follower of Jesus, any moral system that we proclaim, Could we answer the same way?

Come look. Not because we're perfect, but because there are little signs of hope following our lives. One of the stories that launched Shane Claiborne's own journey happened while he was a college student outside Philly. In 1995, dozens of homeless mothers and childrens were struggling to find housing.

At the same time, Philadelphia had hundreds of abandoned buildings, including an abandoned house. Catholic cathedral. So the families moved into it. A few days later, Shane and some friends were sitting in their college cafeteria when one of their buddies threw a newspaper down on the table and said, you've got to read this. The headline read, church resurrected, not because someone had repaired the building, because people had brought life back into it.

But as they kept reading, the story took a heartbreaking turn. the Catholic Archdiocese, which owned the cathedral, had served the families with an eviction notice. They had 48 hours to leave or they would be arrested for trespassing on church property. Shane said they had one of those moments when they found themselves asking, hey, God, why don't you do something? And it was if God answered, I did do something. I made you get out.

out. So that night, Shane and a group of college students drove into North Philly. They found the cathedral. They knocked on the doors, and Shane says they entered into the struggle. They didn't just admire the courage of those families from a distance. They joined them. They became friends with the mothers and the children. They worshiped together inside that old cathedral. They organized together. They stayed with them through the eviction battle. And Shane says that experience became the catalyst for an incredible student movement on their campus, and it completely changed how they read the Bible. He said they stopped seeing Jesus simply as someone who cared about the poor.

They began seeing Jesus as one who became poor, one who was born into suffering, one who identified with their forgotten, one who invites his followers to do the same. Meanwhile, the families hung a banner across the front of the cathedral that read this. How can we worship a homeless man on Sunday and ignore one on Monday? That's one of the most convicting questions I've ever heard because it isn't just a question

for churches. It's a question for all of us. It's not just a question for Christians. It's a question for any members of any faith or the agnostic. The question is incredible. Do the things we say we believe actually show up and how we live? Do our words or our actions speak loudest? Then the story takes another incredible turn.

The Archdiocese decided to bring in the fire marshal, hoping the building would be condemned as unsafe and the families would have to leave. The night before the inspection, there was a knock at the cathedral door. Shane said everyone assumed they'd come to evict the families under the cover of darkness. Instead, it was a group of the people. firefighters. They quietly said, we're here against orders. Then they spent the entire night helping in small smoke detectors, exit signs, and fire extinguishers so the building would

pass inspection and the families could stay. I can't tell you how much I love that image. The institution failed, but the people inside it didn't. And I think that's the heart of the irresistible revolution. Shame didn't become an ordinary radical because he read a book or heard a sermon. He became one because he stopped asking, why doesn't somebody do something about that one day and started asking, what can I do? Sometimes changing the world starts with something as ordinary as knocking on a door. Sometimes it starts by staying with the people in the middle of their struggle. And sometimes it starts by installing smoke detectors at midnight.

That's what ordinary radicals do. One of Shane's biggest idea is that five, followers of Christ don't spend their lives trying to avoid broken places. They move into them. Not because suffering is good, of course not, but because that's exactly where Jesus went. He tells about one of his classmates who proudly landed one of the most prestigious teaching jobs in a wealthy suburb. His professor looked at her and said, there are almost 300 applicants for that job. Why would you take it? You're one of the best teachers. Go where they can't find it. enough teachers, then he tells about a Harvard law graduate who turned down lucrative opportunities to defend poor people who couldn't afford lawyers. Shane said, the biggest question isn't,

am I going to be a teacher, a lawyer, a doctor? The big question is, what kind of teacher, what kind of lawyer, what kind of doctor? Who am I going to teach? Who am I going to heal? Who am I going to represent. I think an army of normal folks ask the same question. What kind of retiree will I be? What kind of business owner? What kind of mechanic? What kind of parent? What kind of neighbor? If you believe in God, he doesn't just redeem our Sundays. He redeems our vocations. Another theme running through the Irresistible Revolution is what Shane calls an economy of love. Instead of asking, how can I accumulate more? He and his friends started asking, how could we live with less, so we can give more.

They shared houses, they shared cars, they shared possessions, not because sharing was the goal, but because it freed them to love their neighbors more generously. Then he tells about a group of Christians who were tired of waiting for someone else to solve the health care crisis. They started pulling their money. They prayed with one another. They helped pay one another's medical bills.

What began with just a few hundred people eventually grew into tens of thousands insuring hundreds of millions of dollars of medical expenses. Shane's point isn't that everyone has to organize life exactly like he did. His point is that love is creative. Ordinary radicals don't ask, what can't I do? They ask, what can I do with what's already in my hands? No one person has to solve every problem, but together normal folks or ordinary radicals can do extraordinary things.

things. That, friends, is shop talk number 115. Basically, another man's take who I've never heard of, never read, or never met on what really can fix our culture, our society, in a world, which is an army of normal folks. His version of it is ordinary radicals, but candidly, guys, it's the same venture. And if we live that way, as the title of his book says, it becomes an irresistible revolution that people can't turn away from. They see it and they got to be a part of it. And although obviously he is a Christian, I'm you're Catholic, I'm Christian, we're Christians. But I do fear that non-Christians, Jews, Muslims, agnostics, hear us talking about this and think that this does not include them.

That's why I said any moral code. And I'm really glad that we talked about any moral code because you don't have to be a Christian to recognize talent and need and join the army of normal folks. A true army of normal folks, a true group of ordinary radicals really don't care how you pray. They just care what you do. And the reality is we all worship some kind of God. That's true. And even most Christians get that wrong, including us too included, right?

It's easy to make money or God or power or pleasure. So, I mean, all of us do have some form of God and some form of Moa code. We couldn't operate in the world if we didn't. That's true. That's absolutely true. Guys, join the Army in normal folks. be an ordinary radical. Understand that those firemen change lives by installing a smoke detector.

That is not some massive top-down huge 501c3 or government agency coming in and solving the problem. It's a freaking husband and a father and a dad who happens to be a fireman who makes out less than $100,000, a year that showed up with a $16 fire detector and a screwdriver and changed lives. That's the power of an army of normal folks, of ordinary radicals, and you can't sit on the sidelines and say, I wish somebody would do something about that one day when you have abilities and gift and there's needs surrounding you. Who the hell is somebody? The answer has got to be us, an army of normal folks, a group of ordinary radicals, seeing areas of need in their communities and filling it. And when we do that, all of our worlds get better.

One part I like about that, too, is that it was at midnight. Like Greg Spilliard said this well on his episode, where he's like, this work is not 9 to 5. That's true. I mean, sometimes it's at 9 p.m. Sometimes it's at midnight. M.K. Hill too recently talked about, you know, that one case where she, you know, helped those three kids who became her foster kids were you know the police you know just rested mom it's at night these three kids around the corner with cops i can't remember what time it was but it was late night yeah this is like yeah she stepped in that moment and said hey i'm happy to take them you know and have them be you know my foster kids and it's not like it's happening every midnight these guys are doing it but you have to be mentally prepared when those

opportunities do present themselves a crazy time to be willing to do it and that is because if you if you assume that working in your community is an hour by hour exhaustive process that that that that very thing may keep you from engaging in the first place. It's not. It's just being ready to act and willing when you see opportunity. And who knows when that comes and what time it comes. But that's what an army in right, if you think about it, the United States military spends 90% of its time hanging around training and eating, right? We're not always at war. An army builds itself in preparation for an event and then it acts and then when that act is over it chills and that's what an army and normal folks has to be do is to be large enough and ready enough that when areas of need

arise in your community you can act it's not a it's not an all the time thing it's just what you can do when you can that's a good analogy for us even when you're at war a lot of time they're sitting around too right they're not kinetic the whole time sure okay guys that is shop talk number 115, join the ranks of the Army of normal folks, become an ordinary radical, and be as our buddy Mike would say a bloody do-gooder, and let's do some good for our society and our culture and build relationships, have fun doing it. And the payoff is this. You will be so much more personally fulfilled in your own life when you're engaging in others. It's just a fact. Guys, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate it, review it, share your friends on

on social, subscribe to the podcast, join the army at normalfolks. Us. Join a service club, if there's one in your area. We have five. Six. Or help start one. Oh, what? We've started one?

No, we've had six all along. Oh, have we? Yeah. Oh, we have six clubs. And help start one. And our merch is online, represent, wear it around, and understand we make zero dollars a profit on the stuff on the merchandise the army normal stuff uh so y'all buy some that wear it around so people ask and you get to say hey listen to the podcast join the

movement be part of it what else take the 10 level challenge and get out of here and go do some good that's it uh and you can write me anytime at bill at normal folks dot us and i will respond if you have any ideas for things we should take up on shop talk or people in your community doing amazing things that we could feature on an army of normal folks. Let us know your stories where we'll respond. That's it. And we send you merch if you do. What?

And if you do that, we send you free merch. And that costs us because we don't make any money on merch. So there you have it. That's it. Shop Talk number 115. Thanks everybody. We'll see it next week. This is Chelsea Handler from Dear Chelsea.

Every week, the news gets worse. The world gets crazier. And Yamanika is here to tell whoever's responsible, you're the problem. love. Do you know I just found out who Sidney Sweeney was? If he got a bunch of women, then I should have a bunch of men. Do better or do less so I don't have to do so much. I'm Yamanika, and I'm out. Listen to You're the problem with Yamanika on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Nick Titoro. You probably know me from

NYPD Blue, the longest yard, or Spike Lee's Black Klansman. And on my new podcast, delivering happiness with Nick Titoro, I deliver pizza to a new guest. I've shared a slice with everyone from Seth Rollins. What are you doing my belt? To Bill Burr. I don't think I've ever met somebody so exactly out of their mind as I am. And now we even have more great guests coming up, including the great John Tuturo. It's called Happiness.

Delivering Happiness. And many, many more. Open your free High Heart Radio app. Search Delivering Happiness with Nick Totoro. And listen now. Summer Blockbusters are back. The Odyssey and Spider-Man. Brand new day have taken over cinemas.

and Raiders of the Lost podcast has all the coverage you need, including our interview with director Destin Daniel Cretton. What surprised you about Tom Holland? He shows up to every meeting early. He's the first one on set. Aside from learning all of his lines,

is also able to memorize everybody's name on set. Download the free IHeartRadio app. Search Raiders of the Lost podcast and listen now. What's up fam? I'm sports journalist Ari Chambers. Hey, what's up y'all? It's your girl, Sam Jay. And we're the host of everyone watches

Women's Sports, a new podcast from Together and I Heart Women's Sports. We're breaking down the biggest headlines. Naomi Osaka showing out. Shout-hows to you, Naomi. The viral moments. I've been obsessed with Kashan Rock's boxing journey. She looks good. Her combos are swift. And the stories everyone's talking about

across women's sports. Because everyone watches women's sports. Listen to everyone watches women's sports on the IHeart Radio app. Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast.