Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

justice

Maybe the hardest book I’ve ever read: Review of Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

Okay, so this book needs to come with a warning. Or maybe you can just let this be it: you will be broken, shaken and awakened by reading this book and it will hurt.

Bryan Stevenson writes in the opening pages of Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption: “This book is about getting closer to mass incarceration and extreme punishment in America. It is about how easily we condemn people in this country and the injustice we create when we allow fear, anger and distance to shape the way we treat the most vulnerable among us.” (p.13)

I’ve long wanted to read this book and when I did, I found myself so absorbed by the stories that my in-real-life was affected in ways I did not expect. I had trouble sleeping and I was so saddened by the experiences of people who grew up in a different area of the country with a different skin color than me that I spent some days anxious and agitated with the world at large.

Stevenson’s stories of injustice are disturbing at best, maddening at worst, and I was even mad that I could put the book down and walk away for a while when it stirred in me emotions I could not handle. What Stevenson and the folks at EJI have done through the years is nothing short of miracle work, and I applaud their tirelessness.

I’m not sure I will ever forget these words from early in the book:

Proximity has taught me some basic and humbling truths, including this vital lesson: Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.”

I mean, what if we lived with that attitude?

At the same time, I’m challenged to be informed about the injustices in our justice system and how much work we have to do. Stevenson’s stories are not all that different than stories we read on social media or in the news today. For whatever reason, his collection of stories and experiences is more shattering to my world view. Maybe that’s the difference a book makes.

I won’t soon forget this book, and I am more convinced than ever that the death penalty is wrong and racism persists in the justice system. As a white woman, I can’t fully understand what it’s like to live with this kind of injustice, but I can continue to increase my awareness of it.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the publisher. Opinion of the book is my honest one.

Why I'm a Proverbs 31 woman (but it's not what you might think)

I’m a Proverbs 31 woman.

You know how Proverbs 31 gets a lot of attention (both negative and positive) and women strive to live up to this seemingly impossible list of ideals? Yeah, that’s not what I’m talking about.

Before the famous part of that passage are these words:

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.” Proverbs 31:8-9

I have been drawn to and inspired by these words for as long as I can remember. I am a writer to the depths of my inner self, and when I feel paralyzed to do something, I return to these words and know that even if I can’t do, I can always tell.

I’ll admit: I’m not always good and faithful with this. A couple of years ago, I signed up with an organization called The Exodus Road to use my blogging voice and audience to tell people about the awesome work they are doing to rescue people from trafficking and sex slavery. And then I sort of stopped, not because I stopped believing in it, but because I got busy with other things. Badge_IBlogForFreedom

Well, I’m glad to say this partnership is back, and in the coming months, I will blog once a month (on the 8th or 9th of the month) about trafficking and sex slavery. When I first joined The Exodus Road blogging team, I wrote this post about why I care about this issue. You can find my previous posts under the category “The Exodus Road.” I’m mildly embarrassed by my blog silence on this issue, but I’m grateful for the re-launch of this amazing opportunity.

I respect what The Exodus Road is doing. They are passionately pursuing freedom for those enslaved and they are partnering with organizations around the world to accomplish this mission. They are changing lives and telling real stories of real people being rescued. It’s not just a fad for them.

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I’m humbled by their work. And I don’t want to be indifferent to it.

Because it’s easy to go about my life and not think about people who are not free. I live in America, the land of the free, so my worldview is a bit skewed. But in other parts of the world, there is no freedom. And in the grand scheme of humanity, if there are enslaved people somewhere, then I, too, am enslaved.

I might not be able to go to the places where investigators are gathering evidence on traffickers, but I can tell you about the work they are doing. And I might not personally know any victims of trafficking but I can tell your their stories. You might tire of hearing about it, but my hope is to keep telling you about this issue so that none of us forget that there are real people in our world who are really captives.

I know I can’t do everything, but I know I can do something.

Telling–it’s my something. It’s a start.

And it’s better than nothing.

I hope you’ll follow along with these stories and find your something, too.