One way to truly listen....Read!

In my previous blog post I mentioned the importance of listening to the voices of those different than we are.  Our search for wisdom and guidance should always first come from God; but just as Jesus listened to those around Him and had compassion for those oppressed we also need to truly hear the voices of the oppressed and hurting around us.  As an adult I've come to realize that social issues are so much more complex than what is portrayed in the media; social, mainstream or otherwise.  

When 9/11 happened the search for understanding Afghanistan lead me to such books as The Places In Between, The Sewing Circles of Herat and more recently to The Broken Circle and Three Years in Afghanistan.

When the conflict moved to Iraq I read books including The Prince of the Marshes and Waiting for an Ordinary Day.  The Iranian issues had me reading Honeymoon in Tehran, Persian Mirrors, and I, Who did Not Die.  Wanting to better understand this entire region lead me to Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms. 

I've read books such as Between Shades of Gray and Symphony for the City of the Dead, to learn more about World War II.  Books like Beautiful Hero, Between the two Rivers, A long way Home and The Great Fire to understand more about the horrors and consequences of genocide. Books like In the Land of Invisible Women and Paramedic to the Prince to learn about life in Saudi Arabia.

I've also read several biographies of US Presidents and the book Barracoon: The story of the Last Black Cargo to try and better understand the complicated history of the US.   More recently I read Upstairs at the White House to get a better understanding of the pressures and duties of the First Ladies who serve alongside their husbands.  

These are just some of the books I've read that have helped me to better understand and have more compassion for those with different backgrounds.

And now I find myself once again looking for those voices....those of African Americans and other minorities.  I've watched fictional movies like The Green Mile and The Help and felt the sadness and anger that people could treat others...made in God's image so poorly.  As I thought through the books I've read I couldn't think of many that really explore the true stories of those minorities living alongside me....and again I was saddened by this realization.  

So, I would love to hear recommendations for authors or specific books; preferably non-fiction books.  As a friend recently said; It is never too late to learn to do better.  

Proverbs 19:20 "Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future."

Philippians 2:3-4 "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."

Proverbs 1:5 "Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,"