Reading March

I used to read a book a week, that was before the days of smart phones, Facebook, Twitter, texting. Before the days of feeling like I needed to be in constant contact with everyone all the time. Before the days of having my mind in a constant state of stimulation by social media.

Sure, I read some great thinkers online, like Skye Jathani and Dr. Moore. I also read some creative and thought provoking content like Matthew Paul Turner and Jamie the Very Worse Missionary's blogs. I love to read Urban Faith and I've continued to make the occasional stop at Christianity Today online to read their politics blog and movie reviews, and  I still read my TIME magazine every week, but over all, my reading intake is way down.

And I feel myself getting dumber and dumber every day.

There is truly something magical about holding a book in your hand, highlighter grasped in your teeth, reading glasses sitting low on the nose, reading, highlighting, learning. 

So, I've decided to take the month of March to read books.

I've picked four books that I've heard great things about. Four books that, really do say a lot about who I am and who I want to be, with just their titles. 

Restoring At-Risk Communities: Doing It Together and Doing It Right Restoring At-Risk Communities: Doing It Together and Doing It Right
John M. Perkins

I heard about this book on the site, Urbanministry.org. When I read the review, I knew it was something I wanted to read. I have no desire to serve at the Dream Center, I desire to help the people of the Dream Center community to be all they can be in life. I'm not putting in my time at an inner city campus, helping the poor people, I'm giving my life and getting my life doing so.  I get the honor and privilege of being called to the Dream Center and spending my life with the people of that community, so I want to do this calling right. I'm hoping this book is full of "ah-ha" moments and new ideas that will help me do what I do better.
When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor. . .and Yourself When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor. . .and Yourself
Brian Fikkert, et al

Since returning from Ethiopia three years ago, I have been reading a lot about how to really help the poor of the world. I've spent time exploring the pros and cons of adoption, missions trips, micro loans, aide, etc. The information concerning all this is vast online but I am hoping this book will help me get a clear idea of what doesn't work so I can steer clear of it. Again, it comes down to wanting to help, not get a good feeling from what I think is a good deed, but to really be a part of the solution, not a part of the problem.


The New Jim Crow The New Jim Crow
Michelle Alexander, Cornel West



Pastor Craig told me about this book yesterday while we were talking about Johnny, one of the after school kids who recently went to jail charged with four counts of attempted murder. He has been in jail for 3 months and has yet to see an attorney. I can't understand why his constitutional right to an attorney is not being implemented. That's why Craig said I would like this book, it's about the money to be made by keeping people in jail. Also, when I saw Cornel West name on it, I knew I had to get it. I knew I would learn something.

Revolution 2.0: The Power of the People Is Greater Than the People in Power: A Memoir Revolution 2.0: The Power of the People Is Greater Than the People in Power: A Memoir
Wael Ghonim

I heard Wael Ghonim interviewed on NPR a few months ago and I knew for sure that I had to get this book. The title alone called to me, "The power of the people is greater than the people in power" those words excite the activist in me. I think that we here in America have just been brainwashed for so long by the media and the political machine that we no longer believe this as we did when we fought to be a free country. We sit in a trance behind reality TV and kill our brain cells with processed food while the emperor walks the road naked. I don't want to ever drink the cool-aide, nobodies cool aide. I want to be the little kid that raises the pointing finger and says what everyone else refuses to acknowledge; "the king is naked!"  That's why I want to read this book.

My plan is to read one a week, in the above order, and post a review each weekend. Hopefully they will all live up to my expectations.You will know if they do or they don't. :-)

Feel free to join me if you want. We can read these together and discuss them. Everyone is welcome to come along for this adventure into what I will call Social Change Reading March. Let me know if your in.

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