Book Review: Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

JustMercy, by Bryan Stevenson, is the story of Walter McMillian, who was sentenced to die for a murder he didn't commit. Walter's trial, conviction, and treatment are gut-wrenching, but I think EVERYONE needs to read this book. It not only goes through Walter's story, but also sheds a light on the way we treat the millions of people processed through our jails and prisons. The result is one of the hardest, yet humanizing and redeeming books I've ever read.

 

I'll be honest that for the vast majority of my life, I've hardly ever thought about the incarcerated. It was easier to not think about them, after all who wants to think about horrible crimes (never mind that a good portion of those incarcerated are for non-violent crimes). In addition, why would I think about them when they're "getting what they deserve?" While my ignorance was bliss, it was also a sign of privilege, faulty thinking, and I believe, a sign that I had ignored a large part of Jesus' ministry.

 

As with so many things, the subject of criminal justice is extremely multi-faceted and I will be quick to point out that I am not an expert on any of those facets. But I have started seeing this topic, as a whole, in a new light; a light in which society has often failed those we have incarcerated. As Stevenson says, "each of us is more than the worst thing we've done." Really think about that statement for a minute. Think about it in terms of the worst thing you've ever done. Think about it in terms of the worst thing a family member or friend has done. Is that one action who you are? Who they are? No. We are all an amalgam of good and bad actions. Yet, our criminal justice system tends to treat people as only the worst thing they've done. Of course, this is not to say that people don't deserve punishment. (As a side note, I strongly believe that one part of the multi-faceted conversation needs to be around crime prevention (i.e. investing in humanity) versus punishment, but that's for another day.)

 

What has challenged me the most in terms of incarceration, especially as a Christian, is the idea that "the true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned." With Jesus as my example, I believe this to be true. What kind of redeemer would Christ be if He treated us by the worst thing we've done? Thank the Lord that He doesn't, because none of us would have salvation. We also wouldn't have a good portion of the New Testament if Christ had treated Paul only as Saul, one of the biggest persecutors of early Christ followers.

 

But let's be honest, it's far easier to think of someone who commits a crime, especially a bad one, as only bad, because we then feel justified in throwing them away. But "by simply punishing the broken - walking away from them or hiding them from sight - it only ensures that they remain broken and we do, too. There is no wholeness outside of our reciprocal humanity." As Stevenson points out, this not only hurts those we are throwing away, but also us. "We are all implicated when we allow other people to be mistreated. An absence of compassion can corrupt the decency of a community, a state, a nation. Fear and anger can make us vindictive and abusive, unjust and unfair, until we all suffer from the absence of mercy and we condemn ourselves as much as we victimize others. The closer we get to mass incarceration and extreme levels of punishment, the more I believe it's necessary to recognize that we all need mercy, we all need justice, and - perhaps - we all need some measure of unmerited grace."

 

Just Mercy has caused me to constantly evaluate how I think about and treat those who do wrong, whether it's those who commit a crime or those who just say or do the "wrong" thing. It's hard, and I'll admit that I have wanted to throw a lot of people away in my mind. It requires Christ's love and strength to think otherwise. Fear and anger make us vengeful and self-focused. Christ's love enables us to see those who do wrong as a human being created by God. Again, this doesn't mean that people shouldn't be punished or reprimanded, but love needs to be involved. The goal of punishment should not be to throw someone away, but to show them, and others, that there is a better way; that humanity can be better.

 

If I could ask you to read any book (beside the Bible, of course), I would ask you to read this book. I believe it is a book our "law and order" and "cancel culture" societies desperately need to read and wrestle with. Throwing others away, either through a school-to-prison pipeline or by cancelling them, doesn't make them less broken. It also doesn't make us less broken. It will only continue to splinter us. It is time we try something new; it is time to root ourselves in love and practice the acts of compassion and mercy to everyone...especially those who have faltered.

Book Review: White Awake by Daniel Hill

White Awake: An Honest Look at What it Means to be White
by Daniel Hill

What brought me to this book?
White Awake was one of the first books in my journey to be more educated on racial reconciliation in the United States. I first heard about it when the author, Daniel Hill, was invited to speak at my church by their Ministry of Racial Justice and Reconciliation. I had no clue what to expect, but I was intrigued by a book about race written by a white, Christian, male with the subtitle of "an honest look at what it means to be white." Although I trust my church, I don't blindly trust them and honestly, I was thinking the talk had the potential of going wrong. I'm not exactly sure how. Just wrong.

Other than Daniel speaking way too fast, it was a great night that helped light a fire in my heart to better educate myself on racism, especially as a white Christian in the US. I read White Awake twice (so far), and although I certainly haven't come close to mentally resolving all the issues around a multifaceted subject like racism, this book has helped begin an expedition that I believe I will continue for the rest of my life. It has led me to examine practically every thought I previously had on the subject, which, given my analytical mind, thoroughly exhausted me...seeing as concrete resolutions in my brain are hard to come by. But I owe it to my neighbor, myself, and my Christian beliefs to not shy away from such critical thinking just because it's hard on me. A little mental anguish is nothing compared to the inhumane racism that so many face every day.

Something I started during the second reading of this book, was a race journal. Somewhere that I could process my thoughts about racial topics, rather than have them ruminate in my brain day in and day out. Somewhere that I could safely work through concepts and questions without fear of saying the wrong thing or offending someone. After all, our society has become quick to demonize anyone who says anything remotely wrong. Although this can be understandable, the downside is that it can also create a fear in people's minds that keep them from engaging in genuine dialog with others...or themselves. People either remain stagnant in their thinking or blindly follow popular opinion without creating their own convictions, all because they're afraid of saying the wrong thing. But it was important for me to be able to look at my thoughts unabashedly and unfiltered; to make sure that I'm being honest with my feelings, my attitudes, and my beliefs. Unfortunately, so far, I haven't found many people I can have these candid conversations with and feel safe; not even with those I would have most expected to be able to. This journal, therefore, has been invaluable as I navigate through the rough terrain.

What did I think of the book (in a nutshell)?
As I said above, White Awake was my first thorough dive into race relations in the US and taught me a lot; much more than I could put in a quick book review. One of the most simple, yet interesting concepts presented is that race is a social construct - an idea created by humans, not God. Prior to slavery, white Europeans who settled in America were British, French, German, Irish, etc. Not white. But then slavery infected the US and Europeans began to identify as a collective, white - a group inherently superior to those of color. Like I said, such a simple and obvious concept (which is presented more thoroughly in the book), but one I had never thought about before, even though we talk about race every day in our society. I'll admit that I haven't fully worked out the ramifications of this idea in my mind yet, but I know that it's an important distinction for me.

Beyond educating me on the history of race, I appreciated how the author, as a white Christian doesn't shy away from pointing out the many theological and human errors white Christians made to justify and even promote slavery. How the more subtle roots of these egregious thoughts have followed us through the generations and helped create a normalization of white culture. As Hill describes it "white culture is the 'norm' by which all other cultural identities are evaluated [...] when we attempt to categorize culture internally, we almost always treat white culture as 'normal.' With white culture serving as the baseline, we then evaluate everyone else's culture based on the norms we associate with white culture." This plays a big role is the double-consciousness likely experienced by most people of color in America today. Hill calls this "two-ness" - "the experience of operating in one America that's white and one America that's black." These concepts need far more explanation than this to be fully understood and are better explained in the book, but I bring them up here as notions that I'm still contemplating and have opened my mind and eyes even further.

The concept that has had the most impact on me, though, is the author's definition of white privilege - simply, "the ability to walk away." As Hill writes, "When the journey begins to feel like any combination of scary, confusing, disorienting, or even painful, we have a privilege that people of color do not: we can walk away; we can go back to 'normal,' if we choose." I appreciated this definition quite a bit, because I've definitely felt each of these emotions - scared, confused, disoriented, and pained - in this racial journey of mine. And, honestly, I have very often felt like giving up. Like I won't be able to figure it all out. Like I won't be able to make a difference. If I can't figure it out and I can't make a difference, why bother. I have thought about walking away more than I'd like to admit. And I know...I know that I can walk away, unscathed. That my life would continue on, like normal. And as I write this...that pains me. That fact brings me to tears. And that makes me determined to never walk away. I know I will fail to do as much as I can do at times. But I am committed to always keep standing and walking towards education, walking towards guidance from the Holy Spirit, walking towards love, walking towards compassion, walking towards reconciliation, walking towards justice, walking towards equality.

Final verdict
White Awake went into so much more than what is written above. In fact, these concepts are all found within the first few chapters of the book and probably only take up a combined total of 3 pages. Maybe I'll write a Part Two to discuss the other 180 pages someday. But these ideas, and the rest of the book, have begun a journey in me. Maybe they will in you too.

Overall, I fully recommend this book. Read it with an open mind and seeking heart. If Hill says something that bothers you, stop and question it. It's possible that it's just an idea you don't agree with and you can articulate why. It's also possible that it's something you need to wrestle with, in a safe and honest environment. Start a journal and/or call me up. I'd love to be someone you can talk openly with and feel safe. To be a listening ear; to be a supportive heart; to be a friend. Only together, with love, compassion, and support for everyone and their journey, will we grow.

Book Review: The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

Let me start with my conclusion. READ. THIS. BOOK. Are you white? READ THIS BOOK. Are you black? READ THIS BOOK. Are you any color in between? READ THIS BOOK.

It's at times like this when I wish I had better writing skills. That I could put guttural feelings into words and inspire generations. Instead, there are far better reviews online for this book than the one I'm going to give, but I will proceed, as best as I am able, nonetheless. I hope this will at least help encourage those I know to...READ THIS BOOK.

What brought me to this book?
In an effort to be vulnerable and transparent I feel that I should confess just some of the white privilege that I have unwittingly partaken in. My knowledge of African American history and the true plight that those of color have gone through, and continue to go through today, was severely lacking. It still is. It essentially consisted of being taught (at a high level) about slavery, the Civil War, and the Civil Rights Movement. After that, racism was deemed illegal and everything is now good. Ha. Like I said...severely lacking. Look, I knew that there was still racism in our country, but I always attributed it to certain places (e.g. The South) and certain, obviously racist people. In reality, it was out of sight, out of mind. White privilege.

But then I started dating an African American man. I wish I could say that I was instantly empathetic and enlightened, but I wasn't. In all honesty, I don't think I wanted to be. I didn't want my view of humanity to crumble. I didn't want to think that we as a society could unconsciously (and sometimes very consciously) degrade and undervalue other people. So I subconsciously chose not to see it. White privilege.

The New Jim Crow is a book I saw him reading near the beginning of our relationship. I desperately wish I had read it then. Unfortunately, it wasn't until a year later, that I was ready to have my eyes opened wider. White privilege.

What did I think of the book (in a nutshell)?
(Note that I debated quite a bit over how much information to present within this review. There's a part of me that wants to share the details of the author's argument so that people will start thinking about it and hopefully read the book. In the end, though, I am certain that I would do her argument a disservice and I want you to get the full impact from the author herself. If you think this is the wrong decision, please let me know. I'd be happy to reevaluate.)

After reading the introduction, I didn't want to believe the author's theory. I don't think anyone will WANT to believe it. But I will confess that I was skeptical. For me, she was going to have to present her case really well. She did. The amount of research and statistics presented in the book is astonishing, eye opening, and depressing. While I have yet to read any counter arguments (and I would like to, if they're out there) I believe it would be hard to invalidate many of the elements to her thesis. Even if someone were able to effectively refute her final conclusion, each of the building blocks are worrisome in themselves.

I went through a myriad of emotions because of this book. It started with fear. Honestly, I was afraid that her argument might be true. This was my white privilege rearing its ugly head. As a white person I've been able to walk away from race relations discussions unscathed. Out of sight, out of mind. But how would my life change if my eyes were opened to the horrific, and legal, racism being practiced in America today? I don't think I would be able to close them again. And, sadly, that's frightening. After all, ignorance is bliss. Equally frightening was the idea that after being enlightened, I would hibernate into my white privilege once again. So, yes, I'm not proud of it, but I'll fully admit that I was afraid when I first started reading this book.

Most of my fear quickly turned to anger, though. Angry that this is going on in our country today...and has been for decades. Anger at each one of the systemic laws and practices by themselves, that put together paints a horrendous picture. Angry that I have been blind and indifferent for so long.

Then the sadness came. At one point, I was reading the book in a coffee shop and had to actively work to hold back my tears. How can we be so cruel to each other? How come we can't see that we are all human and equal in God's eyes? How come we can't honor and celebrate our differences, rather than degrading others? How come we can't serve and look out for each other, rather than walking over them as we aim to climb the ladder of success? How can we as a nation realize and mourn our history and current practices? How can I be part of the solution when I feel so helpless and ill-equipped?

Final verdict
I'm not going to sugar coat it. This is not a happy book. No book about race relations is. But it's a necessary, educational, and eye opening book. I know this "review" didn't present any details of the book itself, but I'm hoping that my raw emotions and reactions will inspire others to venture out and read a book that will challenge them, but could also change their life and society for the better.

To the white people out there, you have to come to a conclusion as to what racism in America looks like today. Learn from my mistake...don't avoid making this conclusion because it's easier not to. Ignorance may be bliss for you, but it is hell for those who are experiencing racism day in and day out. Don't make your conclusion based on your small, white world. Don't make your conclusion without talking to and learning from African Americans. Understand the true meaning of white privilege and understand how indifference is greatly contributing to the problem. As Martin Luther King, Jr said, "It may well be that we will have to repent in this generation. Not merely for the vitriolic words and the violent actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence and indifference of the good people who sit around and say, 'Wait on time.' "

To the African Americans out there, I lament. I lament what this country has done to you. I lament what this country is still doing to you. I lament the fact that I have chosen for so long to turn a blind eye to your history and your pain because it was easier for me. I vow to do better. I vow to no longer be indifferent. I vow to do my best to open other people's eyes in love and compassion. I vow to stand with you. I vow to continue to learn, seek understanding, and lament.

So, I will end with how I began. READ. THIS. BOOK. Don't be indifferent. Challenge yourself. Open your mind. Step out of your comfort zone. Expand your understanding. Learn. Love!