Holding Up Your Corner

Holding Up Your Corner
By F. Willis Johnson
3/5 Stars

“We must learn how to pray with our feet” is really what Holding Up Your Corner is all about. The book addresses the how, why, what, and when of how to approach racial justice, within the community, and specifically within our churches.

Acknowledge, Affirm, and Act – these concepts are the primary goals of the book. I was particularly struck by the concept of acknowledging, because, as a privileged white, middle-class woman, I really don’t understand how to do that in a constructive way. “Sin is anything that encroaches upon, impedes, or ignores another’s inalienable rights and nature to be not only free but also whole and alive. Injustice and inequalities of any make or model are sin.” Those two sentences alone felt like a wake-up slap in the face. Sin goes way above and beyond that simple list of do’s and don’ts we find in the Bible.

When we think of affirming, we need to “go into your community and be with the devalued ones. Ask questions about what they feel, what they experience. Admit to them your feelings of fear or inadequacy or whatever. Tell them you want to understand-that you want to help.” Amazing, really, that it’s all about conversation.

Acting, of course, if the most important step, and the one that (in my experience) is most completely ignored by most churches. (As one example, I spent my entire childhood in the church and did not ONCE hear even one single thing about volunteering or serving in the community in any way, shape, or form. I had to become a Methodist as an adult to get a peek into that wonderful world.) Of course, “acting” needs to be deliberate, and it needs to be helpful and valuable to those we would like to “help.” The author discusses a very specific framework that congregations can use (from the National Association of Social Workers) with concrete examples of how to do it. And, in the “suggested next steps” section, the author again lays out how churches can proceed in getting started on having these difficult conversations, and what to do about what you discover within the context of those group conversations.

Overall, I found the book to be informative and helpful. I did knock some stars off of my review (for a review of 3/5), for two reasons. One, it was a bit dry and I had trouble focusing at times. More specific examples would have been helpful. Two, the book did not have many specific examples (such as organizations to contact, etc.) much at all, and the examples the author did give, came really only at the end of the book.

If you are a current pastor, or if you belong to a religious organization that wishes to help in the community like United Methodist Women, Catholic Charities, DAR, etc., I think that you will enjoy this book. I would especially recommend this book for pastors, particularly pastors who lead churches with a non-minority majority population.

Enjoy the book, and please leave a comment if you enjoyed it (or if you didn’t enjoy it!)