Justice in the Burbs: Being the Hands of Jesus Wherever You Live...

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 208 pages
• Published by: Baker Books August 1, 2007
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0801068096
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0801068096
• Book Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.7 x 0.5 inches
• Weighs: 1.6 ounces

From Publishers Weekly
Award-winning Christian novelist Lisa Samson (Songbird; Quaker Summer) and her husband, sociology doctoral student Will Samson, intertwine fiction and nonfiction in this challenging and inspiring book about justice. Lisa Samson's novella features the Marshalls, a suburban family with all the accoutrements: Matt climbs the corporate ladder, Christine cares for their three children, and both are busy with numerous church leadership positions. One day, Matt and Christine visit an inner-city mission, and their ideas about how they should be living gradually but dramatically change. The nonfiction portion of the book looks at the issues these characters (and most of the book's readership) face. The Samsons talk about why God cares what we eat, where we live, how much electricity we use and to whom we minister. Astonishingly, the authors manage to do this without hitting a sanctimonious note. On the contrary, they repeatedly highlight the heartbreak and complexity of what they refer to as thinking and living in keeping with God's heartbeat of justice and frequently acknowledge their own struggles and failures. The Samsons include short meditations at the end of each chapter written by a variety of Christian authors, as well as a series of helpful discussion questions at the end. (Aug.)
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Product Description
In the suburban world of nice homes, neat lawns, and new cars, it can be easy to forget about social justice issues. Life keeps us busy, and the poor and disenfranchised of our world are invisible as we go from our garage to our workplace and back again. But suburbanites can be a force for social justice in the world. In this unique book, readers will take a journey with a young couple from the 'burbs as they learn to notice and act on the issues of justice that abound no matter where you live. This engaging narrative helps readers kiss apathy and ignorance goodbye in favor of a life of concern and action in order to help our fellow human beings.

Reader Reviews
This is a great, multi-facted look at the dilemma suburbanites face when awakening to the fact that God may have a different dream than their culture's picture of the American dream. I was impressed by the different angles that the Samsons are willing to tackle in the book, and I particularly appreciated their broad, 'holistic' perspective that reminds readers to serve their own communities and not just see the "inner-city" people as the only people who need to be served. I also appreciated the emphasis on joining in with ministries already going on and being willing to learn from the people who have been in the trenches rather than starting something new. Too often I hear white people raving (with good intentions, of course) about how they're saving the world, wanting credit for everything they do. But the Samsons really stress the normality of this "new normal" life, and they certainly deserve credit for that in my book! Their humility and authenticity really impressed me. The fictional account of a suburban family on their journey is really well-written and evocative...very effective. However, there were a few places that were so cheesy and white-man's burden-sounding (particularly the last page) that I just groaned. But the great good in this book far outweighs any of that, and I can see it changing lives...I hope many people will listen to their voices and be moved to think through the hard questions along with those like the Samsons who have already traveled this path.