A Book Review: Ordinary by Tony Merida

I found Ordinary by Tony Merida to be a quick read (only 125 small pages) that was very challenging.  You can purchase a copy here.  It is well-written and covers a subject about which Merida is very knowledgeable and passionate.  The book tackles issues of social justice and demonstrates how Christians can involve themselves in advocating for the least of these without moving to faraway places, though the Meridas' social justice efforts have often taken them overseas as well.

Tony Merida and his wife Kimberly have been social justice advocates among evangelicals for quite a while now, involving themselves in orphan care, sex trafficking, and ministering to the poor around them.  The Meridas have four adopted children of their own.

I have to admit that I found the title to be slightly misleading.  While the call to action in Ordinary is not exactly like David Platt's call to action in Radical, it is far from ordinary.  If it were ordinary, Merida likely wouldn't be writing this book.

The thread that runs through the book is the biblical idea that all people are created in the image of God, and therefore are worthy of dignity and respect.  For Merida, the doctrine of the image of God drives his theology of man and motivates his social justice efforts.  I judge this to be right on track.

The practical ideas found in this book are also helpful.  Merida tells stories from his own ministry efforts and the efforts of his church.  He also provides ideas as to how others can get involved in "turning the world upside down" through ministry to others.

One of the things that I most appreciated about the book is its gospel focus.  Merida is not issuing a call to social justice that is devoid of the gospel.  He is issuing a call to social justice that is motivated by the gospel.  It is a reminder that we do not have to choose between meeting either physical needs or spiritual needs.  We can and ought to do both.  We ought to give a cup of cold water in Jesus' name, and we must also tell them about Jesus.  Otherwise, we meet a temporal physical need while neglecting the eternal spiritual need.

I found this book to be especially helpful for me as I am currently teaching through the opening chapters of Genesis.  It helped me to process some of the things we see in those beginning pages as they relate to our understanding of man and think about them in practical ways.  I would recommend this book to anyone seeking to be challenged regarding how they can get involved in ministering to others in extremely practical ways that shine the light of Christ in a dark world.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through the Cross Focused Reviews program in exchange for this review.