At the same time, some things are best learned by experience?by doing. In my early retail days I worked at a grocery store. One day as I  surveyed the large skid of boxes before me, all of which needed to get onto the shelf somehow, my manager walked by and said, "It won't get done by looking at it." I wasn't too impressed by his astute observation but I knew what he meant.

Reading about how best to get the goods onto the shelves wouldn't get the job done. I had to dive in and get started. The same could be said when it comes to the issues around social action, compassion and caring for others. Knowing about it, even reading about it, won't make the difference. Only as we get ourselves into the action do we learn what we don't know. But here's where books come in.

In terms of social action, I have to confess that I came to the game late. I was born in the '50s and, without passing judgment on my particular church tradition, we didn't talk much about it. Social justice was the world of the mainliners. I'm not sure how we ever got that idea but that's  the way it was. Plus, in those days, before the days of constant global information, we didn't even know how big the problem was. But that has since changed for me (and for a lot of others)!

God in the Alley by Greg Paul

This was my first real introduction into the world of the disenfranchised in our cities. I have not been the same since I read it. Paul writes this book as an active pastor on the front lines of inner city Toronto and he captures our minds and hearts with humbling stories of real people who need our love and care. I learned to see that the image of God resides in all people, even those whom we would consider unlovely. Over the years I have literally begged people to read this one and still do today.

(Paul has written a sequel of sorts entitled Twenty Piece Shuffle in which he continues his exploration into the world of the haves and have nots.)

My next foray into the topic was:

Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne

After reading these books I felt that I needed to dig even deeper; try to find the theological underpinnings for social justice and for that I was lead to:

The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann

By tracing the Old Testament lines from the radical vision of Moses to the consolidation of royal power in Solomon, our focus lands on the critique of that power with a new vision of freedom in the prophets. Here is the broad sweep from Exodus to Kings to Jeremiah to Jesus. The prophetic vision not only embraces the pain of the people but creates energy for action based on the new thing that God is doing. It's difficult to stay neutral when we see God's desire for the ?least of these.'

Truth be told, I feel like I am in pre-school when it comes to real involvement in compassion ministries, but reading good books on the subject has kick-started my education. And it can for you too. There are many more titles available on the topic than the ones I reference here. We've come a long way since the '50s and '60s. The fact is, the subject is now somewhat in vogue with more and more materials coming out every year.

This is where the danger lies. If we don't move from reading about social issues to doing something about them, we will likely be prone to move onto the next thing that comes down the line. This would be a great tragedy and keep us from fulfilling God's vision for this world. I'm nowhere near where I need to be, but my apprenticeship has begun.

It's always easier to read about something (or tell someone about something) than to actually get involved. As one poet writes:

No matter where you are, when it comes to social justice, you can get started. Get a book on the subject and then get some ?grime under your fingernails.'

Read on . . .