Justice in the Burbs: Being the Hands of Jesus Wherever You Live by Will and Lisa Samson

For those of us who are products of the suburbs, reading Shane Claiborne’s Irresistible Revolution or listening to innercity-focused preachers and activists can be somewhat of an alienating experience. Inspiring as it may be to see individuals, organizations and churches living in community with the poorest of the poor, it can often make it seem like the city is the only place where you can truly answer God’s call to social justice.

If you are not willing or do not feel you are even capable of making a difference by moving to the poorest and most crime-infested neighborhoods of the nearest big city, the message seems that you are just another yuppie using too much gas and too many resources in a cul-de-sac; in the all or nothing equation you’ve chosen to do nothing for fear of losing comfort and stability.

Will and Lisa Samson—who happen to be well-acquainted with Mr. Claiborne—know the suburban experience well. Though they technically live in a city now (the urban heart of the sprawling city-suburb that is Lexington, Kentucky), they write from experience for those of us with a heart for kingdom building who feel that sense of alienation living in the ‘burbs.

They write in a unique way, Lisa using her skill as a fiction author to weave a narrative of a young couple learning—growing and engaging in their community as they move from apathy to compassion, and Will writing from a non-fiction, academic point of view to illuminate the narrative with factual, practical and biblical principals behind the metamorphosis of the fictional couple.

Though the couple’s transformation begins with recognition of a ministry to the poor in great need of their services, the book takes a holistic approach to justice—from serving in ministries such as the local soup kitchen and homeless shelter, down to the decisions we make in spending, eating, leisure, entertainment and personal spiritual growth.

In simple yet profound fashion, the Samsons challenge the reader at every corner to examine the social, political, racial and religious systems we operate in and around. Most importantly, they show how it is possible, even for suburb dweller, to make small incremental changes toward a lifestyle that better reflects God’s justice regardless of whether or not they make the decision to move to the city.

After reading the book, I am even more convinced of my calling to the suburbs, where the opportunities to serve and build the kingdom of God are endless. While I do not see this as a free pass to ignore the city (its problems or its people), it helps renew my personal vision for serving where I am at, breaking down the barriers that prevent me from serving my neighbor and engaging in activities that build community.

Adding to the Samsons’ insights are the brief meditations of Christian thinkers including Brian McLaren, Leonard Sweet and Doug Pagitt. McLaren’s challenge is perhaps the most memorable. He explains that the word often translated in the Bible as “righteousness” can also be translated as “justice.” Whereas the more common translation speaks of personal piety, the other speaks of personal responsibility to others. His charge to replace the word justice wherever righteousness is seen in the scripture can be a powerful and practical tool to go beyond the simple understanding of scripture as a bunch of rules to be a better person and dig deeper into the revolutionary nature and message of Jesus’ teachings.

It is passages like this along with the scriptures scattered throughout that ultimately make this book come alive. While the blend of fictional narrative, guest meditations and non-fiction writing may sound disjointed, the book effectively communicates in different ways and on different levels to different people an important message so often overlooked or dismissed with a harsh cry of “liberal” in the Christian church. While it does offer pointers and tips about how to approach the call to social justice from a holistic viewpoint, it’s far from being a self-help book or a manual in how to be a trendy “green” Christian.

In the end, the book’s subtitle is its greatest piece of advice. You and I can be the hands of Jesus wherever we live.