by Dennis A. Jacobsen

Reviewed by Alyssa Caulley

This book is for folks who have done some learning about systemic racism, have worked to look at changes they can make in their own life, and are wondering how change happens at a systemic level and how Christians and the church can be involved. Specifically, it's an introduction to the practice of "congregation-based community organizing". It covers both theology (why congregations would get involved from a biblical, theological, moral perspective) as well as some concrete strategies for congregations utilizing this method.

Can you share a quote from the book that was meaningful to you?

I have an entire notebook of highlighted quotes that are inspiring, interesting, challenging, or all of the above! This is one of my most favorite quotes because it gets at why churches might go beyond "works of mercy" and start working towards systemic change:

"When we engage in a personal ministry of mercy, we have an opportunity to learn from those who suffer. We move beneath tidy statistics to the complexities of the human dimension. We begin to see how systems are designed to benefit the prosperous and to keep the poor down. Our prejudices and false assumptions are challenged. We learn to see the world in a new way—from the perspective of those at the bottom. This view can be quite threatening to us. We cling to our fragile security and try to preserve a safe distance.

"On the other hand, the works of mercy are considerably limited if they are done without regard to systemic injustice. Society is pleased to have the church exhaust itself in being merciful toward the casualties of unjust systems." And because I can't stick to just one, here's a quote with some thought-provoking questions that I would love to discuss in a small group:

"How deeply have you thought about your own self-interest? List your own most primal concerns: Whom do you love? What do you want for yourself? What are your dreams for your children? What makes you afraid? What makes you angry? And how has that self-interest shaped your life, whether or not you've admitted it?"

What was a new thought or a key takeaway?

I've been working for a while to transition from learning about injustice to doing something about it. I started focusing inwardly (what are things that I personally need to repent of and change?), then in my family, then for some ways I could personally impact my workplace. But I have felt very stuck about how to help bring about deeper (systemic) change. I was incredibly inspired by community organizing (and specifically congregation or faith-based organizing) as an effective way to bring about change (see: the Civil Rights Movement!) and deepen my own sense of community in the process. 

What action will you take as a result of reading this book?

Reading this book set me on a path to read and learn a lot more about community organizing (another great book is Faith-Rooted Organizing: Mobilizing the Church in Service to the World) and put it into practice through the Education Justice League here at BelPres. It has also changed the way I think about the systems I'm a part of, so I've taken steps to get more involved in the systems around me (deepening connection to local public schools, following local affordable housing initiatives, etc.). Finally, it highlighted my own lack of community and I'm constantly, in small ways, pushing myself away from individualism / prioritizing my individual family "success" and towards more collective frameworks.