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"Go to the people!", John Perkins spoke in his raspy southern black accent. "Live among the poor with purpose with passion. Make people the priority. Give praise to God, so pride won't become an issue. Disciple!"
Chris invited John to speak to a crowd gathered at Tribe One last night. Tribe One is the inner city mission of Knoxville where my heart belongs. I miss the work, the neighborhood, and the people like nobody's business. John brought it all back for me. He sang the call written on my heart to love the and live with the poor- the least of these.
I've heard him speak a number of times, so I knew who he was when he came up to shake my hand. He's a memorable man- a saint. He loves justice, forgiveness, and racial reconciliation. I built my life around the three r's in John's book Let Justice Roll Down:
relocate to live among the poor
rebuild the community
redistribute wealth
His words helped me mull over if I'm passing on to my children John's vision, my vision, the heart of Jesus for the poor. Suddenly, I'm thinking internships rather than summer jobs for my boys. Time with my children grows shorter, and I want to use it wisely.
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