By Asa Veek (Deacon and Church Treasurer)
I was
originally excited to read Ordinary: How
to Turn the World Upside Down. The description,
with statements like, "Ordinary is not a call to be more radical. If
anything, it is a call to the contrary. The kingdom of God isn’t coming with
light shows, and shock and awe, but with lowly acts of service" caught my
interest. When I read it, I was encouraged, inspired, angered,
frustrated and disappointed.
Merida
makes the argument, quite convincingly, that acts of service aren't optional
for the believer. As a response to, and work of, the Gospel, we believers
should be engaged in a lifestyle of caring for the disenfranchised and those
without a voice. We should be serving those who cannot repay, not for the
praise, but out of a grateful response to a God who has redeemed us.
While
I feel Merida makes his point, I was left with two nagging feelings.
First, the book felt like a bit of an overreaction to the highly theological
and theoretical parts of his own life (and the lack of practical
demonstration). Second, while trying to make the case for the breadth of
opportunities to serve the poor, needy, orphaned and widowed, the book quickly
became an argument to rally behind the cause of human trafficking - a worthy cause
- but currently the "cause-du-jour," both within the church and in
the secular culture.
From
my study of history, much of the oppression that has happened throughout time
has been the result of the lack of economic opportunities or economic
mobility. Merida's arguments largely ignore, with the exception of one
passing example, the role godly business leaders can play by giving the
disenfranchised economic opportunities. Giving people the opportunity to
earn a liveable wage from a fair employer can do more to transform a community
than all of the handouts could hope to accomplish. A mere two or three
paragraphs highlighting the role that the business community can play in
community transformation would have made a big difference.
One
area I completely disagree with Pastor Merida was in his section on
hospitality. No doubt, the New Testament doesn't make hospitality an
option. I actually agree with his assessment that congregations should
elevate the Pauline requirement of pastors to practice hospitality. Where
I completely disagree was Merida's assertion that homes could function as
retreats. I left the chapter feeling that taking a respite from serving
others was sinful; if Merida's assertion is correct, then Jesus' regular
withdrawals from others should be viewed as sinful, and that would be a
heretical view.
I
appreciate the final chapter of the book, where Merida argues the reasons
why service should serve as a response of the working of the gospel in our
lives. The paragraph reads much like a pop-theology treatise, and I
appreciate that. I wish, however, this chapter be moved to either chapter
1 or 2, as this lays the foundation for his entire book. Placing it right
before the conclusion, while, stylistically, is an interesting place to wrap up
the book, could mean that the response to the book comes before the
understanding of the reasons why there should be a response.
Overall,
I'd like to recommend this book, but I'm struggling to recommend it.
Maybe this could be part of a small-group/community-group discussion.
Maybe it could be a topic for a discipleship group. I cannot, however,
recommend it for a young/new believer, as I'm concerned it could breed a
response without a solid understanding of the work of the gospel in the believer's
walk. A community discussion, especially when led by a mature believer, could
foster good discussion and a correct response to Merida's important assertion.
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