Thursday, October 8, 2020

Dream with Me: Race, Love, and the Struggle We Must Win


 Book: Dream with Me: Race, Love, and the Struggle We Must Win
Basic Information : Synopsis :  Thoughts : Evaluation : Book Group : Book References : Good Quotes : Table of Contents : References

Basic Information:

Author: John Perkins

Edition: ePub on Libby from the San Francisco Public Library

Publisher: Baker Publishing Group

ISBN: 9781493406081

Start Date: August 30, 2020

Read Date: October 8, 2020

218 pages

Genre: Biography, Christianity, Interracial Understanding

Language Warning: None

Rated Overall: 4 ½ out of 5


Religion: Christianity

Religious Quality: 4 out of 5

Christianity-Teaching Quality: 4 out of 5


Synopsis:

Perkins talks about his life and his thoughts. This is not so much an autobiography, but an illustration of what he wants to teach us through life examples. These include his three R’s: relocation, reconciliation, and redistribution. He emphasizes love, reconciliation, forgiveness and redemption. But the underlying thoughts on how justice fits in.


Thoughts:

CCDA=Christian Community Development Association



Appreciation

Sound(John M Perkins Blues) by the band Switchfoot (lyrics, for those like me who hears shouting but not the words).


Foreword

Written by Randy Alcorn.


Words for praise for Perkins: I realized he was one of the wisest men I’d ever met.


Perkins opened Alcorn’s eyes, even to the point of civil disobedience and arrest.


Perkins finds great joy in small things.


Introduction

Truth be told, I have forgotten more of what has happened than I can remember. I like it that way because I always seek to focus on God giving me new dreams. After reading the book, I wonder what he has forgotten as he says enough to make it worthwhile reading it.


Perkins talks about two dreams: that is the world around him and the world as it should be. He is amazed at God at work in his life. As I grow older, I think I become more and more aware of my own sinfulness and the sin that is all around me and the confessions he makes reveals even more grace.


Justice is something for which every generation has to strive. This is something each generation has to go after, something which will not be achieved until the kingdom of God comes. This seems so much of a depressing statement. Seems almost like Sisphyus and his rock, always going up a hill and the rock always rolling down. What is the sense of this? Maybe that is our calling in our life, to be like God, crying for justice. Perkins hopes to have his obituary say that he tried to live out a Christian life in the days he lived. That would be a life well lived.


Prologue: Unexpected Places

A basic question both for a life and a situation: How did we get here? He talks about his early years. His older brother is killed in a Mississippi jail and being sent to California to get out of that environment. His brother was a World War II vetern. Perkins’ take is that he was defeated by the unspoken war at home.


When Perkins reflects about his life, he thinks about the compliments he has received. The look he has is one of astonishment rather than accomplishment. Perkins says that I would like to think I am also moved by the pain I feel for my folks there: the poor who don’t know they are poor and the downhearted who are still staggering years after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.


Justice is a major part of Perkins, but he says this book is about love. AW Tozer: God is love, and just as God is love, God is justice. (I could not find this as a quote. I am not a Tozer expert)


He quotes Fredrick Douglas: Fellow-citizens, I will not enlarge further on your national inconsistencies. The existence of slavery in this country brands your republicanism as a sham, your humanity as a base pretense, and your Christianity as a lie. It destroys your moral power abroad: it corrupts your politicians at home. It saps the foundation of religion; …. Perkins sees that the same thing applies today.


1 Side by Side (but Not Together)

Talks about the walls which keep us separate. This prevented blacks from getting health care, education and other things which were equivalent to what whites got. The question comes to mind, which walls are there today? Walls which we are so used to seeing that they do not seem to be walls? In the years since then, I often have thought about those walls that kept black people and white people apart, even in places where we had so much in common.


Talked about tearing down walls. Perkins Voice of Calvary bought a medical clinic where he had gone to before, on the black side of the wall. They tore that down and made it the same so there was no black or white side.


He talks about integration. There comes a moment of truth, when there is a call, Let’s Go!


We as a society have failed the students of today if they don’t understand and respect the leaders and martyrs who worked tirelessly for the cause and equality.


If my kids are ready to give their lives for the cause, I’m willing to let them do it. For any parent, this is a crisis decision. Do I let my children walk into danger for something bigger than themselves? Do I do it? Even today, Perkins wonders was [it] the right thing to do, but I’m still troubled at times. I put my children in harm’s way.


Mississippi has changed in the last fifty years, look at the restaurants. That is something to remember. When I think of the South, it does not have the same flavor as the 1960’s. While it might have some of the same prejudices, it is changing.


He talks about today, the public schools are integrated. But most white kids go to private Christian schools. He wonders if the white parents understand that by sending their children to a school like that what they are doing to black students? I wonder if it is deliberate or as Perkins speculates, because these private schools are better.


Integration may come with a cost, but when it leads to reconciliation, it is worth it. This is when a white principal expelled a black homecoming queen. Both black and white students walked out of class. Why the white students? Because they had worked and played together and now were part of each other.


The things we did during the civil rights movement, but really the daily, faithful acts of ordinary black and white folks made the movement what it was.


2 That We Might Be One

In John 17 Jesus prays that we will be one. And yet we worship separately. Perkins states that reconciliation and integrated worship is central to the gospel and to our lives as Christians. What strikes me is the later part of that statement. If I am to advance my life as a Christian, this concept of worshiping with all needs to go beyond being a concept to reality.


He talks about what does the New Testament mean by reconciliation? There is the reconciliation between God and man, such as in 2 Cor 5:19. He says that the church has been given that message of reconciliation. Yet on Sunday morning, we seldom model this reality of the gospel If the church cannot be reconciled between itself, what does it mean to the world to be reconciled? Perkins views the message as being a wide message, not a narrow one between God and man, but to also include man to man. 1 John 3:11


What is our Baal, the things we put between us and God? What “ism” is there? Does my heart cry the same cry Perkins does? Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God.


The main points of this book and Perkins’ ministry: relocation, reconciliation, and redistribution. And then he has five additional principles—leadership development, empowerment, listening to the community, holistic development, and striving to be church based.


The church is to be the incarnate Christ here on earth now, which means all members ought to be doing the work Christ did while He was here. Simple, but powerful. Something easy to forget when we go and do the day to day work of our lives.


He talks about multi-ethnic congregations. One of them in Seattle. He mentions the Evangelical Covenant denomination. I will admit, the Covenant Churches I have seen are mostly Swedish and really white. This seems different.


we still live in a time when the majority of churches today do not look anything like John’s vision in Revelation [7:9-12].


3 Poor Whites

Perkins talks about poor whites as well. He starts by saying At the time I didn’t realize these whites also had been damaged and that oppressing blacks gave them a sense of worth… When the Perkins’ opened up a place to stay for those who did not afford anyplace else, the first people were white folks whose car had broken down. Perkins needed to think through what he thought. At some point I made the decision to preach a gospel stronger than my racial identity and bigger than the segregation around me.


He feels that much of the racial issues are because of poor white folks. They needed someone to look down on and blacks were the next on the pecking order.


I have thought that what we see today is more economic class issues rather than racism-not completely as that would not explain traffic stops and arrests. But how we view people. There is a sense that we can dump on the poor, no matter what color.


Perkins decided that he would call people “friend”, no matter what color or economic class. A sign of love and affirmation.


4 Fighting without Fists

Boxing is the metaphor Perkins uses. Joe Lewis was his and the black community’s hero, because he was black and a winner. But Perkins' nature is to be a peacemaker. Injustice is an evil in society that must be fought. But there are ways to fight injustice without being physical. So much different than Ta-Neishi Coates book. He sides with Martin Luther King, Jr who said that they fight as Christians, with the fight of protest.


In the face of power, some resort to violence as a way to create chaos. That’s terrorism. That’s what people use when they don’t have the power to win. I had highlighted this many months ago. But today, Jan 10, 2021, this takes on added pungency from the events five days ago.


He notes that Caesar Chavez would fast when his own people would start to get edge towards violence. He used it as a restraining power and a power to create change.


I quickly came to understand that nonviolence takes more strength than violence. He realized this as certain windows were broken on white property and it was known that the Civil Rights protesters were responsible. He undertook to fast, pray and talk with those who were responsible. While whites have a legitimate fear of Black power and if there would be repercussions, in most cases it is black property and people who take the brunt of black violence and protest. Look at the recent protests or those after Micheal Brown, Rodney King, or the summer of 1968.


Whites need to take some responsibility for centuries of imperialism and failing to repent… He goes on and says that blacks need to take responsibility for broken families.


The organization Perkins founded and is part of, CCDA, believes in a holistic approach. They try to care and minister to others in need. They see things more as a broken system rather than a single wrong issue. We recognize that incidents like the Michael Brown case are the result of many different broken systems, we realize that violence won’t solve anything. They look at that confession of sin and repentance is foundational. Dehumanizing people only makes everybody susceptible to violence. Perkins understands what Paul said about fighting the good fight and persevering in battle.


5 The Three Rs

H Spees was part of his early group of people, Perkins lists a total of four people. H is somebody whom I have met on occasion. Very impressive man. Perkins notes that Spees wrote on impressive paper. I do not know if this is the paper or not, but there is a May 1974 article written in the Evangelical Friend by Spees. (Probably not the right one).


This is the chapter where Perkins goes into the three R’s: relocation, reconciliation, and redistribution.


  • Relocation. Talks about how this takes deep commitment and cannot be shortcut. Not just a change in zip code, but becoming one with a community-feeling their pains and hurts. Not patronizing nor “giving voice-there is voice” already. They need someone to listen to them. This is to become incarnate among a community. Perkins says that the best leadership is where the people say we have done this yourself. It is hard to see the positives of a community from the outside looking in. You need to be among the people. Perkins warns in general, has been that some of the individuals and families who started with flawed motivations ended up being the most broken. Be humble as you will be taken advantage of. Sometimes I think we have lost the concept of the benefit of sacrifice in Christianity Interesting thought. What does sacrifice look like? Is it just leaving the comforts of a place? Or does it involve being taken advantage of, of suffering loss? Of seeing no progress? Perkins points out that Do you really lose anything when you give up everything to get what God wants of you? Perkins also states that the idea of relocation cannot be just about outsiders coming in; it has to be centered on leaders being raised up from within. But another thought on relocation is to Remain. As a neighborhood changes, to remain is to keep resources in a community.
  • Reconciliation—heart of the gospel. ...Reconciliation is working in the process of forgiveness—being forgiven and forgiving others. Perkins talks that today reconciliation seems more of an event. But he sees it as a gift of God, something which is integral to the gospel. He points out that when Peter left the Gentile believers to eat with the Jews, Paul called him out because of the lack of bringing Christians together. The way we accommodate racism and bigotry in the church, even today, is a heresy and a major blind spot. Over the 60 years he has been preaching reconciliation, he see progress being made, but our vision is too small. He comes back around and says that reconciliation is a way of life, rather than something to be studied or protested on race. Part of reconciliation is building relationships. There is a need to mend broken relationships. Because reconciliation is so hard to live out on a consistent basis, I fully believe that it’s one of the greatest displays of God’s redemptive
  • Redistribution—tends to make some folks nervous. He is not talking about taking away stuff/money from the rich and giving to the poor. What he wonders is how with everything around us, how come the needs of the poor=food, housing, medical, …. Cannot be taken care of? But not given, but earned. Too much free stuff undermines people’s dignity and feelings of value. But to earn, you also have to have the skills and resources to earn. He says that redistribution is the people with the most skills and opportunities sharing with those who don’t have them. How can the church, government, community, schools, … work together to provide these skills?

He summarizes:

  • Relocation: imitating Christ to show the full extent of love
  • Reconciliation: God bringing people into relationship with himself and other people (all people?)
  • Redistribution: caring for other people’s needs as we care for our own.

Key thing: be cheerful, be intentional, live out these principles

6 Incarnation (Being Jesus in the Flesh)

One of the big needs in Mississippi was leaders. Perkins would watch young people go off and get educated and not return. Why should they when what they would face is poverty and bigotry. Some did and they showed leadership.


He talks about Jesus becoming incarnate to share in this world, not to look down on it. In the same way, when we become part of a community we share in that community's hurts and joys.


He talks about Christ in us. Difference between being the prophetic word of God and being the vessels of God’s Word. We are not little gods, we are like a clay pot which holds Him in this world. we go too far when we make ourselves the prophetic word itself instead of vessels of that word.


He talks about Vicarious suffering is redemptive. Not our place to redeem, like Christ’s suffering, But it gives a place for people to be drawn to Christ. He says that relocation allows those who are poor and suffering a chance to see the deep love of Christ in action.


Some of the mystery of the incarnation is that it is God working, but working through us. It is God’s gift to us. But it is also our gift to give to others. God does not need to use us to get his works accomplished, it is His choice.


More of a sidebar. He talks about how some young people have come up to him and said they do not need church or a preacher. They can get what they want from a virtual church over a traditional one. Perkins notes that That’s going to be weak, because its going to miss the incarnation. It will not have a human touch. I am hearing more and more that after the pandemic ends, people will not go back to the church in a building mode. It just does not meet their needs and they have seen how it could be done virtually. Is Perkins right? I think what we lack right now in churches is lack of personal accountability. When was the last time someone in church made you feel uncomfortable with your spiritual life? With how you operate in this world and how you are relating to others.


In choosing to relocate, the key … is honing our skills in terms of listening to God’s voice. He has Paul trying to go to Asia and God saying, no, go to Greece. There should be a sense of calling in our lives. Perkins feels there should be a sense of calling to where there is suffering in our community, particularly the poor, widows, orphans, foreigners, … Also the homeless, prisoners, AIDS victims (and now pandemic) The important thing would be to go where we can be incarnational with the particular type of people God has called us to reach.


He talks about several communities. One being Shane Claiborne’s Simple Way community. The reason why I pick on that one, is it seems to be a favorite of our group of people we meet with on Tuesday nights.


Retribution and relocation is not only for the poor. They are to also benefit those who do not hoard their resources. What does this look like? He quotes John McGill who makes the case that when he shares his money, he is also sharing his sweat and time. It should be noted, McGill also shared himself with Perkins. He ends with the yearning that the church would rise up and help. The people in the churches every Sunday outnumber the people who are on the streets and the number of people on welfare


7 Real Justice

Before going back and reviewing this book, I had read Timothy Keller’s book, Generous Justice. It is an interesting complement.


Justice is an economic and stewardship issue


Perkins talks about white and black theology and talks about it being the same coin of justice, just two different sides: justice and redemption. White theology emphasizes the need for recognition of personal sin with repentance and forgiveness. While black theology likes Moses’ Let my people go!


I think Perkins is saying that we Christians give lip-service to justice when something obvious as Ferguson comes about, but do not really go whole hog. They do just enough to get by without repentance. What comes to my mind, what do I have to repent from in this? But this is what Perkins may be getting at. We are blind. Perkins is too much of a gentleman to say it that way, but I think that is the point he is getting across. Perkins does point out that both sides yell so loudly neither can hear each other. That is key-a sense of dialogue.


When a white hears the anger in a black voice there is a sense of I need to defend myself, am I going to get hurt. Perkins talks about how Racism creates anger. Not only by blacks against whites, but whites against blacks. But there is not the understanding of centuries of oppression, both as a slave and as a person made a second class citizen. When a black hears a white, they think “master” complex or that this person is really not understanding or going to try to change or change their community.


Perkins does a good job of explaining both sides of reactions to the demonstrations which went on after Ferguson.. I wonder what he would say about this past summer.


Old Testament justice laws aren’t just about punishing sin; they’re also about preventing oppression. They are designed to make each member of the community flourish. But how? And how can I participate in this? Being fed and debt relief are two areas addressed in the Old Testament.


Interesting phrasing indicates that Perkins is not speaking from a place of having immense knowledge, but is continuing to seek what justice means.


But what does it look like for human beings? The central question. But he turns this around to ask What does justice look like from God’s perspective? He talks about the Book of Ruth-sort of like Timothy Keller does. He concludes that justice is any act of reconciliation that restores any part of God’s creation back to its original intent, purpose or image. Very powerful.


8 Spencer

Talks about his son, Spencer. He had the knack of being lovable. Perkins talks about when he would go into a place, people were sort of indifferent to him, even if he was the first black student. By the time he would leave a school, he was loved. He tried to go into business for himself after college, but it did not work out. But it turned out he could write well. He married Nancy Horst, a Mennonite. There was an article in Sojourners about them in 1998. They joined a community, trying to live out Matt 5-7.


He found his niche particularly with race relations. Then tragedy struck. He collapsed at a conference, was hospitalized. But was able to give a keynote address afterwards. He talked about the need for grace in race relations. He then had a heart attack.


After that, the community which Spencer was part of broke up. The Perkins’ bought the property for a center he had been led to start. He realized that he grieved differently than his wife. He was more inward and used that energy to do something. He realized you do not get over the loss of a child, but he did want to get to a point where I can talk about Spencer’s death without breaking up. But I never want to forget my child. I don’t even want all of the pain to go away.


9 Affirming Human Dignity

Perkins affirms a couple of things. First that humans are made in the image of God. Second, we are fallen. Third, we need reconciliation to God and each other. He knows what it means to be dehumanized-from being paid $.15 for a days work to be beaten in a jail cell. There is a sense of helplessness. If you stand up, you get put into a worse position. It is easy to get trapped into the role of a perpetual victim.


… oppression is no laughing matter. What I’ve experienced drives me on with a sense of responsibility.


One thing which happens is the victims start adopting the oppressors view of things and of themselves. They think less of themselves in the sense that they no longer see themselves with the image of God in them. Those whose human dignity is not affirmed, and who do not have an avenue to express their dignity, have trouble at every turn, and ultimately many do not survive.


The path to reconciliation is filled with obstacles. Such as Spencer knew that he and Chris Rice could live out what racial reconciliation was. But they did not have the financial resources to make it fully operational. When our source of dignity becomes broken or unavailable, we often feel lost and discouraged. Never give up.


Perkins talks about his time on World Vision’s board. He mentions two people who were particularly concerned with economic and justice issues: Roberta Hestenes and Collen Townsend Evans. I have not met Hestenes, but heard her speak and used some of the tools she has developed for small groups. Then Colleen Townsend Evans I have met. Her son pastored our church for a while and she spoke at our book group. A humble woman who could take credit for a lot of things, but let her life speak for itself.


10 The Final Fight

He starts the chapter with acknowledging no matter where he starts, he is faced with love. He sees both justice and love in every verse he reads in the Bible. He reviews how he became a Christian.He discovers that as Christians, must be stewards of God’s love. Witnessing about Christ is not only telling, but showing God’s character and love.


Perkins notes that when people sees Christians in the United States, it is not love they see, but the noise being made about abortion, homosexuals, and right-wing politics. He stays that those things shouldn’t define the church.


Love begins with God. We experience God’s love first, and then we are able to truly love others. Maybe we American Christians have not experienced God’s love first of all that we have become more legalistic. It will be God’s love for me which allows me to be free with others (my thoughts). These apostles [Peter and Paul] understood that devotion and loving obedience have the potential to draw people to Christ.


Perkins has a stutter, like me.


It is hard to show love when you have been hurt. Perkins talks about love being most powerful when unexpected. But when a person displays a haughty mind-set—well, it’s really hard to show them love.


Perkins talks about that even those who are concentrating on cutting you up have elements of truth. From my perspective, it is harder to find from that person than from a person who is acting out of love. But as Perkins says, I need to look for the truth and examine myself in it.


Loving one set of people does not preclude us from loving another set of people. If we want to show love towards those who are racially discriminated against, it does not mean we cannot love the discriminators, or even myself.


Perkins talks about trying to work in the political spectrum. When he is working with liberals and he says that he is pro-life, he gets a negative reaction. I think they’re reacting to the right-wing idea of pro-life, which sometimes seems interested in only certain kinds of lives—unborn children, for instance. This is the fault of a narrow focus on being pro-life. It should mean complete life from conception to death. How can we help others be more human? How can we help them live the life God wants them to live? This is no matter what age, gender, nationality or race. How to affirm rather than to tear down a person?


He talks about economic development. The idea is not just to get rid of blighted neighborhoods. He points out that too often that means displacing people from a location. Instead how to upgrade the existing people in a neighborhood? More business and jobs.Breaking the cycle of poverty. He asks the question of what does this love fight look like? One thing that’s important to understand is the biblical definition of love. (1 John 3:16-18). Love is action; it is truth; and it is sacrifice.


11 The Power of Forgiveness

It still amazes me the way God takes truly awful things that happen and uses them for His good purposes.


He talks about oppression. He takes that oppression of another human is in-congruent with God’s character. (1 John 2:11) Perkins is thinking/talking about in the context of revisiting the scene where his brother was killed. In the past he had been in turmoil whenever he came her. He thinks he has forgiven those who did this. The heart of God’s love is forgiveness.


Perkins recognizes that God uses imperfect people. I also know that God’s history of choosing and using damaged men and women gives me hope. It should give all of us hope. He goes on and talks about how if God can forgive these people, he will also forgive us. And maybe that is the part I am missing in my Genesis reading. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were not leading moral lights. And yet it is through them when all mankind is redeemed.


Forgiveness releases us from bondage-both being forgiven and forgiving. See the Lord’s Prayer. The more we’ve been forgiven, the more we love.


Sin is the root of separation: from God and from other humans. It makes victims of both the oppressed and oppressor. Perkins talks about various politicians which went on in Mississippi which he had gotten to know.


It’s unfortunate that there are people out there—whether enemies or opportunists—who are eager to bring up the past sins of others and use them to cause trouble. That is cruel and ungodly behavior.


Former Mississippi Governor William Winter spoke at the Perkins Anniversary Celebration in June 2010. He noted that A free society cannot exist for long if too many people in that society put their own image above that of their community.


Perkins would like to see a national acknowledgment of the sin of racism that has stained our nation’s history. It is not because we are guilty per se, but that those who have been oppressed so long need to be lifted up. And as Perkins laid the foundation with forgiveness, there is a need for the nation to receive forgiveness by those who have been hurt. He notes that laws can go so far, but true justice will come only as we love one another and consider one another’s needs as important as our own.


He is not looking for whites to solve black problems. But for white to join in with blacks so they can solve their own problems. It is not about being wrong, but using the time rightly to work together.


He looks at the damage of segregation. The lasting effects of segregation make it so much easier for a black man to rob or hurt an innocent white person without much thought because of the damage that has been done. On the other side, the damage done to white people from centuries of racism makes it easier for them to avoid living in black neighborhoods, fear black people walking the streets, or even commit vicious hate crimes against blacks. Breaking these barriers need both sides to work together.


He feels that the church is the place to begin the conversation of confession and forgiveness. Probably so, since we should be familiar with these words.


He talks about being a dreamer and wanting to see love trumping hate.


Interesting: he mentions Duncan Hunter, former Congressman from San Diego area as someone who tried to pass reconciliation bills. I think this is the father, not the one convicted of embezzlement. Still, my understanding is that he was pretty conservative.


12 Above the Noise

Listening to God and to one another is dreaming God’s dream, and we are to live out what we hear.


This chapter might be one where my notes are more of his quotes than my thoughts. A Bible teacher has to listen. Listen to whom? Those whom they are teaching, but even more so, listening to God. The big question is will we, like Elijah, be willing to take the time and trouble to listen to God as well.


To Perkins, the Lord’s Prayer is more than a pattern. It is God’s priorities. Prayer is meant to change our list of desires so that we instead seek God’s kingdom and the things He wants rather than the comforts and riches of this world. Important to remember that we are asking for His will to be done.


Prayer is not a substitute for action; it is a preparation for action. Something to remember in our “thoughts and prayers” age.


He prayers before speaking to a group, His usual place is in a bathroom stall. He asks God to bring to mind anything he should say which he had not said before. Also that he would be able to connect with the audience. He also likes showers in the morning to pray.


The thing about our public prayer today is that it seems to be hard for us to listen to God in this context. We want to go by formula and within a program, not to have us listen to God.


He talks about his life as a preacher, but also knowing God.


Perkins talks about false prophets who lead us away from the truth or Scripture, who do not tell the full truth. At best, he feels they are not responsible Bible teachers. He says it is up to us to question our teachers about the word they are teaching. No doctrine or formula can replace wisdom and understanding.


He says that as humans, our two greatest needs are to know Jesus and to be disciplined in wisdom.


When asked about the church’s next great venture, his reply was: to unstop our ears—take these earbuds out of our ears. There is too much noise in our society right now, and that noise just keeps getting louder. We need quiet time for reflection. We need to be still and know that God is God.


13 The Church of the Future

Perkins wants us Christians to think about history. I think Christians should take a more holistic view of history, looking at it for what was, what is now, and what is to come and seeing all of these pieces connected as part of a plan set forth by an infinite and all-knowing God.


This thinking of history includes a sense of being prophetic. Calling God’s words to our present day. We are to be salt and light. He is not so much interested in “hot-button issues”, but more in the proclamation of love and redemption. We are to talk, show and act as the current incarnation of God on this earth.


The question now is, what are we known as now, and what can we be known as?


He has hope as he sees various groups come together and model more reconciliation, redemption and love, not only inward, but outward.


George Barna notes that the house church is currently one of the fastest-growing models of church in the United States. Perkins thinks that the emphasis on people instead of place is a hopeful progression. In a small group, everyone has the opportunity to engage in worship. Small groups can be a vehicle for discipleship. In those small groups, where people can get to know one another well and where they’re already involved in each other’s lives through being neighbors, the new converts can grow into fruitful disciples. The problem can be that small groups tend to attract people “like me.” I do think that once churches reach a certain size, it makes sense for them to be intentional in planting multicultural churches, sending out members as the base for these new congregations.


He mentions Lake Avenue Church, I have friends who go there. He also talks about Timothy Keller who I have read books by lately.


Perkins thinks that the church does not have a full sense of the message of the gospel. He would like to see that message includes togetherness and love across ethnic barriers, seeking and telling truth. There needs to be a sense of urgency. Currently he is a bit disappointed in where the church is today. He felt that there was a more robust response to things like Ferguson, Baton Rogue, Dallas and other incidents. He would like churches to be part of nonviolent change. We should be preventative, creating environments where these things do not happen, instead of reactive.


14 Dream with Me

We live in a society that was built on dreams. Perkins says that the dream is “all people are made equal”. He also thinks we have failed. But have we failed, or are we still making progress towards that dream? And in some areas, we have a long way to go.


The resulting short-fall in this dream is that we [Perkins family and blacks in general] lived in a constant state of vulnerability, with a never-ending undercurrent of fear. I think of Coates book, Between the World and Me and the fear he told about, the fear which drove him. This is what Perkins is talking about. With Perkins, it has driven him to prayer and action. With Coates, well, he is still a work in progress. We will see where he ends up in 40 years.


He feels it is time for the young people to take up the mantle and progress the movement forward. It is important to have models of progress, such as Paul, the Jew, reaching out to Gentles. Also the more modern models of Barack Obama, Kristi Yamaguchi, and Louis Brandeis.


What language do we use? Aggressive? Hate? Negative? These are constrictive terms, meant to narrow. Better terms are Love, Reconcile, and Construction. Those who do practice the later believe the church can and should be a more loving, reconciled, and grace-filled environment, and they are making their voices heard in Christian circles.


It only takes a small number of people, maybe 4 or 5 percent of the people to start bringing about change. Hat is why it is important to have involvement.


… as I mentioned earlier, the original American Dream was one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all. …. For more than two hundred years we’ve reneged in so many ways on the words we’ve claimed are the foundation of our country. This leads into, what is being patriotic? Wouldn’t it be to try to fulfill this Dream or all being equal?


justice is an act of reconciliation that restores any part of God’s creation to its original intent, purpose, or image. Justice is making right any of the many things that have gone wrong in this very good world that God made—and among the very good human beings.


Real repentance and forgiveness requires psychological pain. He goes on and says that right now, we do not have this. We have Forgiveness lite. Without deep forgiveness and reconciliation, we will not be a nation of equals. This American Dream ties in with the gospel: we are to be reconciled to God and to each other.


Perkins dream is that when we fight, we should fight for something bigger than a personality, bigger than a particular culture. We should be fighting for the Dream. The Dream of justice and peace.


Gratitude

H and Terry Spees who are part of my church is mentioned. Also Phillip Yancey, and author who we have read.

 
Evaluation:

Once in a while you read a book and go, Oh Wow! Not because it is great writing or what you think is a great wisdom, but because of the life of the person writing it. This is that kind of a book.


In the Civil Rights movement, there are people with the big names, and deservedly so. And then there are those who continue its work on a more personal level. John Perkins is one of those people. This book is a remembrance of a life well lived, but does not toot his own horn, but shows the wisdom learned via the hard knocks of living that life. He shares that wisdom so that we all can learn, not to brag.


His message is of love, forgiveness, reconciliation, and redemption. Not a how to manual, but more of a call to live out these characteristics. He also presents a condensed form of his three R’s: relocation, reconciliation, and redistribution.


There are several lessons to be learned. Some include that prayer is the prelude to action, a reminder of what our American Dream is about-that all are created and should be treated equally. This book is a lesson book on how to continue to progress to this Dream.

 
Notes from my book group:

Perkins talks in terms of Christian religion. How does he talk about sin, repentance, forgiveness, redemption, and reconciliation? What other religious words does he use? How has his usage of these words caused you to re-examine how you use the words? Talk about what it means to fail in one of these areas? How did you realize new meanings?


Why are human beings made in God’s image crucial to this book? How is living in a fallen world with fallen people a key component to his thinking?


No matter where Perkins starts in the Bible, he is faced with love. How does love present itself in Perkins’ reading of the Bible? In the different words talked about above? How does Perkins allow his life to reflect his? Where do we go to receive love? To whom would Perkins say we are to show love? How?


When Perkins talks about The Dream, what does he mean? How does he propose that Americans move toward that Dream? Do you think his methods will accomplish this progression? If so, how long? What would you propose instead?


Justice is something for which every generation has to strive. How does Perkins define justice? How is justice pictured differently in different groups? Why did this come about? Is this only a racial issue? What is this generation’s struggle to achieve it? How can you do your part in this struggle?


Perkins talks about walls which keep people apart. What changes in the barriers has Perkins or yourself seen in the past 50-60 years? What walls does he say are there? How has he helped to remove some of these walls? What walls remain? Are they racial only or are there other walls? How can you help in your community to break down those walls?


Integration may come with a cost, but when it leads to reconciliation, it is worth it. What costs does Perkins talk about?


When it comes to integration how does Perkins see churches? How would he like to see churches function concerning race and other factors which keeps us separate? What examples does he hold up to follow? How would you work through race issues in your church?


In the context about, Perkins says that on Sunday morning, we seldom model this reality of the gospel. How does Perkins see reconciliation fitting into the gospel message? Can a church be full gospel without the element of reconciliation? Between whom?


Talk about Perkins’ three R’s: relocation, reconciliation, and redistribution. He talks about both superficial and deep versions of these. Give examples of both. Do you need to participate in all three to make it work? What is the key to making them work?


Talk about these sentences: In the face of power, some resort to violence as a way to create chaos. That’s terrorism. That’s what people use when they don’t have the power to win. How can we make it so that those who do not have power also win?


One of the religious words he talks about is incarnation. How does he talk about the relationship of God becoming man and our place in society?


To incorporate and flesh out these words, is it more of a sprint to correct quickly or an endurance run? How can you gear up for how long you picture these issues to take to resolve?


Perkins talks about the impact which Old Testament Law had on the people. How does Perkins view this effect? Is it something we can apply today? If so how? If not, why not?


If you love the black people, should you show love to a segregationist? How do you show love to those who are opposed to each other? To those who do wrong?


According to Perkins, the Lord’s Prayer contains the priorities of God for our planet. Do you agree? What do you see as God’s priorities? How so?


Perkins says that Prayer is not a substitute for action; it is a preparation for action. How does prayer lead to action? How does it prepare a person? How do you react when you hear “my thoughts and prayers”?


What are the greatest human needs? How do you react to Perkins saying that it is to know God and to be disciplined in wisdom? Have you seen these in your life?


Perkins talks about various models for Christian assembly. What do they look like? Do you think the current model of meeting in a set-aside building will continue? What advantage does a church building have? Disadvantage? What resonates with you? In whatever structure, how can the church be more responsive to social needs?


What vocabulary do you use to express how society is changing? Those who oppose your thinking? Are they in harmony with how Perkins describes we should be?


Perkins talks about how oppression is in-congruent with God’s character. Is this true? How so? How is forgiveness involved? Why is forgiveness needed before reconciliation? How can you be generously loving with both the oppressed and oppressor?


Is racism your fault? If not, why do you need to be concerned with it? Why does Perkins want to see a national recognition of past (and present) sins of oppression?


Perkins says that it only takes 4-5% to effect change. How will you be part of that small group?


How do you want your life to change because you read this book?



Many of these questions are either from or adapted from LitLovers.

Why the title of Dream With Me? How does it reflect the theme of his writing?

Does this book work as a memoir?

Did the ending seem fitting? Satisfying? Predictable?

Every book has a world view. Were you able to identify this book’s world view? What was it? How did it affect what you understood Perkins to day?

In what context was religion talked about in this book?

Was there anybody you would consider religious?

How did they show it?

Was the book overtly religious?

How did it affect the book's story?

Why do you think the author wrote this book?

What would you ask the author if you had a chance?

What “takeaways” did you have from this book?

What central ideas does the author present?

Are they personal, sociological, global, political, economic, spiritual, medical, or scientific

What evidence does the author use to support the book's ideas?

Is the evidence convincing...definitive or...speculative?

Does the author depend on personal opinion, observation, and assessment? Or is the evidence factual—based on science, statistics, historical documents, or quotations from (credible) experts?

What implications for you, our nation or the world do these ideas have?

Are these idea’s controversial?

To whom and why?

Are there solutions which the author presents?

Do they seem workable? Practicable?

How would you implement them?

Describe the culture talked about in the book.

How is the culture described in this book different than where we live?

What economic or political situations are described?

Does the author examine economics and politics, family traditions, the arts, religious beliefs, language or food?

How did this book affect your view of the world?

Of how God is viewed?

What questions did you ask yourself after reading this book?

Talk about specific passages that struck you as significant—or interesting, profound, amusing, illuminating, disturbing, sad...?

What was memorable?

 

Book References:

  • Let Justice Roll Down by John Perkins
  • Dominion by Randy Alcorn
  • More than Equals by Spencer Perkins and Chris Rice
  • Language of Shalom by Cheryl Miller
  • The Genesis of our Christian Faith by AW Tozer
  • The Hiding Place By Corrie Ten Boom
  • Revolution by George Barna

 Good Quotes:

  • First Line: My good friend Jon Foreman, of the band Switchfoot, read my first book, Let Justice Roll Down, and was inspired to write a song about my life.
  • Last Line: There’s a dream worth the fight!
  • Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Martin Luther King, Jr, Letter from a Birmingham Jail
  • Justice is something for which every generation has to strive.Chp Introduction
  • The church is to be the incarnate Christ here on earth now, which means all members ought to be doing the work Christ did while He was here. Chp 2 That We Might Be One
  • Injustice is an evil in society that must be fought. Chp 4 Fighting without Fists
  • In the face of power, some resort to violence as a way to create chaos. That’s terrorism. That’s what people use when they don’t have the power to win. Chp 4 Fighting without Fists
  • nonviolence takes more strength than violence. Chp 4 Fighting without Fists
  • Do you really lose anything when you give up everything to get what God wants of you? Chp 5 The Three Rs
  • The important thing … [is] to go where we can be incarnational with the particular type of people God has called us to reach. Chp 6 Incarnation (Being Jesus in the Flesh)
  • Old Testament justice laws aren’t just about punishing sin; they’re also about preventing oppression. Chp 7 Real Justice
  • Love is action; it is truth; and it is sacrifice. Chp 10 The Final Fight
  • The heart of God’s love is forgiveness. Chp 11 The Power of Forgiveness
  • That’s one of the saddest things in life—to recognize a missed opportunity to be obedient to God. Chp 11 The Power of Forgiveness
  • Former Mississippi Governor William Winter spoke at the Perkins Anniversary Celebration in June 2010. He noted that A free society cannot exist for long if too many people in that society put their own image above that of their community. Mississippi Governor William Winter, Speech at John and Vera Mae Perkins’ Anniversary, June 2010
  • Listening to God and to one another is dreaming God’s dream, and we are to live out what we hear. Chp 12 Above the Noise
  • Prayer is meant to change our list of desires so that we instead seek God’s kingdom and the things He wants rather than the comforts and riches of this world. Chp 12 Above the Noise
  • Prayer is not a substitute for action; it is a preparation for action. Chp 12 Above the Noise
  • justice is an act of reconciliation that restores any part of God’s creation to its original intent, purpose, or image. Chp 14 Dream with Me

 Table of Contents:

  • Appreciation
  • Foreword
  • Acknowledgments
  • Introduction
  • Prologue: Unexpected Places
  • 1 Side by Side (but Not Together)
  • 2 That We Might Be One
  • 3 Poor Whites
  • 4 Fighting without Fists
  • 5 The Three Rs
  • 6 Incarnation (Being Jesus in the Flesh)
  • 7 Real Justice
  • 8 Spencer
  • 9 Affirming Human Dignity
  • 10 The Final Fight
  • 11 The Power of Forgiveness
  • 12 Above the Noise
  • 13 The Church of the Future
  • 14 Dream with Me
  • Gratitude
  • Recommended Reading
  • Notes

References:

 

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