Doing Good Without Giving Up – Sustaining Social Action in a World That`s Hard to Change

12th Annual Outreach Resource of the Year (Social Justice) "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." - Galatians 6:9 If you're working to make the world a better place, you might find yourself discouraged. Needs are overwhelming, resources are limited, opposition is real and progress is slow. How do we persevere when the novelty wears off and our enthusiasm runs out? We all want change in the world. But as C. S. Lewis put it, we don't get second things by placing them first; we get second things by keeping first things first. As Christians, we don't just aim at change; we aim at faithfulness, and out of faithfulness comes fruitfulness. Activist Ben Lowe renews our mission with key postures and practices for sustaining faithful social action. What makes social action distinctively Christian includes such things as living out Jesus? love, having a prophetic witness, building bridges with opponents, repudiating idolatries, and practicing repentance and sabbath. Moving beyond theory, Lowe showcases practical examples of what it looks like to persevere in faithful activism and advocacy today. Take heart. As you work for God, God is at work in you to keep your hope alive.

Table of Contents:
Foreword Begin Here: Prophets of a Future Not Our Own Part One: Renewing Our Mission 1 Wait, Don?t Give Up! 2 Is Social Action Necessary? 3 Overcoming Obstacles to Social Action 4 Reconciling Evangelism and Social Action 5 Transcending the Culture Wars 6 Restoring a Faithful Agenda Part Two: Sustaining Our Action 7 Love 8 Prophecy 9 Opposition 10 Idolatry 11 Repentance 12 Sabbath 13 Contemplation 14 Community A Final Word: Onward Acknowledgments Notes

About the Author :
Ben Lowe is on staff with the Evangelical Environmental Network and serves as the national spokesperson for Young Evangelicals for Climate Action. A dedicated activist and organizer, Ben was raised a missionary kid in Southeast Asia and now lives as part of an intentional community in a refugee and immigrant neighborhood outside Chicago, where he ran for US Congress in 2010. He is a graduate of Wheaton College (IL) and the author of Green Revolution.

Review :
"In the now overcrowded genre of justice literature, Lowe does the church a great service in providing practical guidelines for the long, hard road of doing good. Lowe calls us to transcend a superficial engagement of our world and press into the complexities of culture and social action. As a Southeast Asian brought up with the ubiquity of idols, Lowe points out the true heart of idolatry and helps us understand how much of today's activism is no different than the worship of religious idols. Pressing for an authentic commitment to both Christ and culture, Lowe's work is as profound theologically as it is helpful for practical, everyday life. With recommendations on how to deal with failure and burnout, practices for Sabbath-keeping as an activist and spiritual formation rhythms, Lowe's contribution to the justice category is invaluable and a must-read for those committed to a life-style of loving mercy and walking humbly with God." "Doing Good is practical and balanced. Rather than promote airy ideals, Lowe peppers flesh-and-blood examples and specific action steps throughout every section. . . . Lowe's graciousness with those at different points than him on the political and theological spectrum is impressive. . . . Doing Good is a refreshing reminder to our culture of fear, sounding instead a call for faithful social action grounded in a love that casts out all fears." "Lowe writes in an easy-to-read, conversational tone that avoids the polemical. This book would be particularly helpful to high school or college students who want to work in social advocacy but are feeling daunted by the seemingly boundless task."