About Me

My photo
Thoughts on the Christian life in a fallen world

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Pursuing Justice - Ken Wytsma and Dr. Jacobson

The call to live and die for bigger things.  The only way to find abundant life is to give your life away.  What does it mean to have a robust, Biblical understanding of justice?  This book attempts to answer that question.  It may be a matter of opinion what justice really is and what it means.  Bruce Cockburn says in one of his songs, "Everybody loves to see justice done.  On somebody else."
There is an interesting analogy early in the book between static art and dynamic art.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up the book.  But what I did find was a Biblical explanation, in the author's opinion,of justice as it relates to modern history. It does depend on how you classify the word justice. In this world, justice may not always be proper or just.  He does mention people from history such as Bonhoeffer  and Elie Wiesel.
In Chapter 7 that is titled Remember What You Saw, the author mentions the empathy and WWII Holocost. The chapter on Playstations and Poverty reminds us that "The story we are part of is far larger than we think."  and "The way we consume directly affects the lived realities of many people."  Just thinking about how we live and how it affects other people in other parts of the world makes me uncomfortable.  Is is guilt? In the chapter on the Anatomy of Apathy, the author challenges us to care about our fellow human beings.  and "Love your neighbor as yourself."  as Jesus sad in Matthew 22:39.
Many parts of this book may make you uncomfortable, or even upset.  But the author is communicating what he feels justice would look like.  I believe he is sincere in his pursuit of justice, and has in fact devoted his life to it.  At over 300 pages this book covers a lot of ground,
There is a website www.kenwytsma.com/pursuingjustice for more resources.  There is also an extensive notes section.  A unique feature called interludes is a series of diagrams, poems and short stories to add variety.  One of the interludes includes an interview with Tom Roley, Executive Director of ROCHA USA a "Christian Conservative Organization" I found interesting.
I can understand the need to take care of the earth and pursue justice, but we can do that while "subduing the earth" and use it's resources in a responsible way.  And s long as we worship the Creator and not worship the creation.
I did get the feeling that this book could lead some into the fringe of environmentalism, and that our idea of consumerism and economics is somehow flawed and bad.  But, I do understand the author's thoughts on priorities of loving your fellow man and providing for others.  Honestly, I am lukewarm on this book, and can not highly recommend it. I was not aware of the environmental tone of this book.  I believe giving your life away can involve many other things besides being aware of consumerism.  Published by Thomas Nelson.  More info can be found at www.thomasnelson.com.
I have received a complimentary copy in exchange for this honest review.

No comments:

Post a Comment