Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I was really excited when I saw this book: a devotional that focuses not just on inward spirituality, but on growing in acts of compassion and justice in the world around us. Even Shane Claiborne had written a blurb about it. Let me begin by describing the format: Keri Wyatt Kent has a reflection for each week, with themes like: Woman, Heroes, Body, Enemies, Overfed, Cross-Cultural, Hope, and Jewelry. She writes her own thoughts about the week's topic, mixes in some Bible verses about it, and shares some of her own personal experiences. Each chapter ends with a "Compassion Step" and a "Community Step." The Compassion Step is an active way to engage that week's reflection on an individual level, things like: journaling, fasting, checking out various justice ministries, reflecting, and loving those around you. The Community Step is something you do with a group - often it's something like a discussion or group study, sometimes it involves visiting a local ministry or participating in a justice program together. The idea for this devotional is really great.
As for the actual content... It is written from a definite perspective: a middle-class, married, white woman who grew up in the Evangelical Christian church. If you find yourself there, and are just beginning to think about how to direct your faith outward, this might be a relatable book. Most of the book is about her own experience. She will share other people's stories, but even those are from her perspective and with her commentary. She talks about her own "white privilege", is quite concerned that poor people are fat, and still struggles with materialism and issues about image. The insights and lessons shared are very basic; they are things people begin to notice when they first start spending time with people who are different from them (racially, financially, culturally, etc.). The biblical commentary is also very much from her perspective, and she will typically give one interpretation that fits with what she's wanting to say, even if that interpretation is a bit of a reach.
So, this book may be a good starting point for a white, middle-class woman who is just beginning to think about how to live out the Christian values of compassion and justice on a daily basis. It says on the back that the book is for "Ordinary women, just like you." But that's only true if you happen to share most of the qualities of the author. I do think it may be quite helpful for people who do, which is why I give it 3 stars. But if all of those things do not apply to you, then you may be often annoyed by the ways she phrases things and what details she chooses to focus on. I really, really wanted to like this book. But I really didn't.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Simple Compassion: Devotions to Make a Difference in Your Neighborhood and Your World
'True devotionals should stir us to devote our lives to something bigger than ourselves. [Simple Compassion] will not just warm your heart but will actually break your heart with the things that break God's.' ---Shane Claiborne, author, activist, and recovering sinner'Keri's journey of compassion is truly a reflective of a woman who wants to impact her community and her world ... I think these stories will stir others to do the same.' ---Heather Larson, Director of Compassion and Justice Ministries, Willow Creek Community ChurchAn invitation to change the world, one life at a time. Starting with your own.This fifty-two-week devotional invites you to discover a life overflowing with creative compassion. Through poignant stories and fresh insights from the Bible, you'll learn how small acts by ordinary women just like you can lead to meaningful change. Along with a clear vision of God's heart for the poor and marginalized, Simple Compassion provides manageable action steps to help you move beyond asking, 'What difference can I make?' to actually doing something. In each week's reading, you'll find inspiring meditations from the Bible blended with suggestions for living out principles of justice and compassion right where you are.Step into the adventure of following God's heart, and discover the power of Simple Compassion.
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