Enter the River

I decided to pick this book out of list of choices for reading for a class. I did not expect it to be an enjoyable book, but I was pleasantly surprised.I know that the topic of racism generally has an accusatory feel for "white" people like me. Miller-Shearer wants to encourage us to change, but avoids condemning us personally either.I think that the way he uses the word "racist" can get confusing at times. Miller-Shearer uses the word to describe systems, rather than individuals. Getting past that will go a long way towards understanding his point.I have rarely seen the topic of racism handled in a way that doesn't make me feel like I'm being personally attacked as a bad person. Miller-Shearer pulls it off.I highly recommend this book. I know most people will probably be a bit uncertain like I was, but I think it is worth the time.

So rarely do White American males speak out on racism, and this is especially lacking in the Christian Church, which remains frightfully split along racial lines (read "Divided By Faith" if you're unconvinced of this). Which is why this book is so necessary. Jody writes out of his experience especially to other White Christians in America, giving Biblical, historical, personal, and and social reasons to examine racism and work for reconciliation. The chapter on affirmative action alone makes the book extremely relevant, though a decade old, in light of the continued controversy and misinformation about this issue surrounding the recent Supreme Court rulings.