"Worth Seeing" (Amy L. Williams)

TITLE: Worth Seeing: Viewing Others Through God's Eyes
AUTHOR: Amy Lyn Williams
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2024, (232 pages).
 

Our society often elevates the externals over the internals, the visible instead of the invisible. In many developed economies, people rush headlong toward attaining the 5Cs: Cars, Cash, Condominiums, Credit Cards, and Country Clubs. With that, people tend to gravitate toward those who are famous, rich, and powerful. Fact is, not everyone can be world famous, materially rich, and powerful. What happens to the rest of us? What about the marginalized and those despised by society? Can we learn to see all people for who they are, regardless of their reputations or ill-repute, poverty or riches, seen and unseen? More importantly, how do we learn to see our fellow human beings the way that God has intended for us to see? Beginning with the story of how Sarai mistreated Hagar in Genesis 16, author Amy Williams shows us that amid Hagar's depressing situation, God sees her and encourages her. God assures her that even when the world do not, God sees her for what she is worth. As one who ministers frequently to gang members, high-risk youths, and people who fell into a life of crime, she calls herself a "Hope Dealer." She also works as a "female gang-intervention specialist and juvenile justice advocate." The key is to learn to see people from God's point of view as best as we can.  Williams shows us the four fundamental ways of seeing:

1. Seeing Myself
2. Seeing Others
3. Seeing Yourself
4. Seeing Hope
   

The first part of the book is Williams's personal journey. Since she is both Irish and Black, she calls herself a bi-racial, one who literally has the best of both worlds. Her journey toward becoming a juvenile advocate begins with her own brother's troubles with drugs and gangs. After writing about her own heartbreaks, she embarks upon the challenge to become a "Hope Dealer," one who is willing to be a light to all, especially those experiencing periods of darkness. Being able to bring light to the world requires a deep reliance and dependence on God. 

The second part is to train our minds to see others the way God sees them. Williams points out with several references toward the need for infusing hope. The biggest problem is not fear but hopelessness. She shows us several ways on how to inculcate hope through knowing, accepting, waiting, and gaining new perspectives of life. One important note is to distinguish perception from reality. Getting noticed is different from being seen. The former is superficial while the latter goes much deeper. She shares her burden for outreach toward unbelieving teens. One important tip is to reach out without been distracted by behaviours. Williams reminds us that changing a person is God's responsibility, not ours. We are called to offer hope, not change people. Mentoring is important, which is why the author dedicates a chapter to do that. She reminds us an important truth about mentoring, that it is about playing a supporting role instead of lead. The mentor's pledge sums up the role well. She teaches us how to see gang members as human beings. The chapter on incarceration should be an eye-opener for many.

The third part of the book deals with changing ourselves and our mindset about reaching out to the unlovable and the undesirable. Knowing our role is especially important. We cannot fix people. We can only walk with them. Williams also warns us that ministry to this group of people is a calling to be embraced. The chapter on "The Gift of Brokenness" is one of the most touching chapters that offers comfort from the point of weakness. Pointing out that God can use our pain, we are encouraged to minister in spite of our weaknesses. 

Finally, the author points all of us toward hope. We all need to have hope in us so that we can shine hope for others. Hope lessons come through teachable moments. There are risks involved in sharing such moments. Williams shares with us five things NOT to say for people who are grieving. Instead of trying to say things, the more important thing will be to create safe spaces for them and to encourage them with the presence of community.

My Thoughts
Let me share three thoughts. First, this is an eye-opening book about a specialized ministry to the incarcerated, and the outcasts of society. It shows us the ministry for the unreached and often despised group of people. More importantly, it is about becoming learning what it takes to be a "hope-dealer." If any reader feels the calling, this book will be a good resource for equipping. Generally, most parents would tell their children not to get involved with any gang-related activities. While that is common wisdom, this book reminds us that Jesus died for all people, including prisoners and gang members. This is what the author has taken up the mantle to minister to this group of people. As she shares her own stories of pain, and her many challenges of ministry, we learn that knowing the world has many suffering places is only part of the picture. The other picture is about the overcoming of these difficulties. As far as Jesus is concerned, he himself ministered to groups that are labelled outcasts and despised.

Second, we all need new eyes to see what we commonly do not see. Williams entitles her book "Worth Seeing" as a stern reminder that we all need to open our eyes to see all people as those who need love and care. Prison ministries is not for the fainthearted. I remember once a volunteer at the Prison Fellowship saying to me: "Those who want to participate in the Prison Ministry must be emotionally ready." The first step toward any ministry, including anything like Williams's work is to change our mindsets. We need to have the biblical eyes that see and ears to hear the innermost cries of the marginalized. Not everyone has the calling to minister directly but we all have a duty to pray for the workers, support the various help ministries, and to encourage anyone we know we have direct contact with these communities.

Finally, the author says it well that such ministries are more lifestyle rather than events. Outreach in general do not bear fruit simply because churches tend to define outreach in terms of programs and short-term activities. Perhaps, one of the reasons why people shun away from such ministries is because they themselves feel ill-equipped or emotionally reluctant to get involved. The most powerful testimonies will probably come from past members who had been redeemed or rescued. It takes one to know one. Just like having a former homeless person ministering to another homeless guy, it takes a fellow struggler to help another struggler. Williams herself had experienced her own struggles within her family. Her brother got involved in drugs and criminal activities. Thankfully, he survived, recovered, settled down with his family, and now runs his own business. 

Above all, we all need hope. Those in despair do not just need hope, they need "hope-dealers" to reach out to them. Who knows, we might know a friend, a relative, or a loved on who might unwittingly get trapped in criminal activities but want to find a way to get back on a more peaceful track of life. When that happens, this book might shine a path on how we can help.

Youth ministry veteran Amy Williams ministers to teens involved in gangs and those lost in the criminal justice system with a key strategy of life-on-life mentoring. As a certified gang intervention specialist, she heard God's call to move into a Latino gang neighborhood in Chicago's Humboldt Park community to be a "Hope Dealer" doing street outreach and walking life with young people on her block. Amy is project coordinator bringing in restorative justice programming to youth at juvenile prisons. Amy has been a youth pastor, a reentry coordinator, and a youth mentor and advocate. She is a graduate of both University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and National Louis University. She resides in Chicago and loves salsa dancing and is a true beach baby.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of InterVarsity Press via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.