Let me get one thing out of the
way: I typically don’t like autobiographical works. All too often the style in
which they are written tends to be a little too stilted or choppy for my
tastes. But at the same time, I find books with the theme of justice to be
compelling. And so when the opportunity to review John M. Perkins book Dream with Me: Race, Love, and the Struggle
We Must Win (Baker Books, 2017) I opted in. Both of my preconceived notions
were correct, the style is, in my opinion, stilted and choppy; but the story
itself is so compelling, that I was able, for the most part, to get past the
style.
John Perkins has been around for a
while, and he has been fighting for justice for a large part of that long
while. Dream with Me is the story of
that fight. Perkins’ dream is for racial justice, and he has certainly seen his
share of injustice, and paid dearly for being a man of color in the segregated south.
But today there are other types of injustice of which we are aware, and the
people involved in those struggles also have their dreams.
Much of
this story contains a spiritual slant, but Perkins didn’t always have that
going for him. He shares how it wasn’t until a grandson started coming home
from Sunday school excited about stories of Jesus that he was willing to give
church an honest try. And that’s understandable. John Perkins had seen his share
of injustice, he had been beaten and jailed, his brother had been shot, and on
a regular basis he had been cast into the role of ‘less than’.
This is
the story of how he learned to fight hate and fear with love. Not just love for
those who loved him, but love for those who hated and feared him. It’s the
story of living out the incarnation. IT’s a synopsis of the Christian Community
Development Association, and living among those who need the light of the
gospel to help them escape the darkness of the world. It’s about fighting, with
love, for those who God loves. And it’s an incredible story of justice taking
place before our very eyes.
I
received a copy of this book from Baker Books in exchange for my review.
4/5
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