Simple Compassion 

Simple Compassion: Devotions to Make a Difference in Your Neighborhoods and Your World (Oct. 2009) encourages readers to start small, think big and work together to change the world – one act of simple compassion at a time. Author and speaker Keri Wyatt Kent inspires readers to make a difference in their own lives and initiate a ripple effect touching their families, communities, cities and the world.

Through 52 weekly readings, Kent provides a blueprint for a compassionate life. Readers who embark on this year-long journey and commit to living out the weekly devotions will radically change their lives and the world around them. Simple Compassion is an ideal resource for individuals and small groups who want to make a difference but don’t know where to start. Kent empowers readers to take small, manageable steps towards a more compassionate world.

“I wanted readers to know that making a difference is not as hard as they think it is: anyone can take just a small step,” says Kent. “The problems of the world may seem overwhelming. But if each person were to help one other person, it would make a huge difference. It would change the world…”

Shane Claiborne, author of the bestselling The Irresistible Revolution says, “True devotions are not just books filled with fluffy stories and neat anecdotes, but books that should stir us to devote our lives to something bigger than ourselves… Simple Compassion is a weekly reminder that things are not right in the world, that this matters to God and perhaps strangest of all, that God doesn’t want to change the world without us.”

Simple Compassion is divided into four sections. The first helps the reader understanding their worth and the worth of others. The second looks at simple ways to show compassion to the family, friends and strangers in their communities. The third goes broader and focuses on showing the love of Christ to their cities and towns. The last section offers steps of compassion and social justice on a global scale.

Each weekly reading ends with two application steps, one for individuals and one to help groups reading the book together connect and encourage one another. These include elements of self-reflection, studying Biblical stories and honestly engaging with group members. She also challenges readers to take practical steps toward compassion, such as bringing someone a cold bottle of water, hanging anti-human trafficking posters or highlighting lower income areas on a map of the reader’s town and spending time praying for the marked areas, then visiting a church in the area to listen and ask questions.

A leader’s guide is included with insights and additional suggested Bible verses for each week.

Keri Wyatt Kent worked as a reporter for fifteen years before writing her first book and is the author of several books, including Rest: Living in Sabbath Simplicity (Zondervan) Breathe (Revell) and Listen (Jossey-Bass). When she’s not busy traveling around the country to speak and lead retreats, she’s writing. She’s a regular contributor to several magazines, including MomSense and Outreach magazine, as well as several websites and blogs. She’s a member of Willow Creek Community Church, where she has taught, led groups and volunteered in a variety of ministries over the last 22 years. She and her husband Scot have two teenage children and live in Illinois.

Learn more about Keri at http://www.keriwyattkent.com.

Simple Compassion
Release: Oct 2009
Soft cover, 272 pp.
ISBN: 0310290775

Lisa’s Thoughts: 

I received my free copy of Simple Compassion from the publisher to review and help promote Keri’s blog tour. The beautiful cover shows a picture of a tea cup, so, of course, I was drawn to that. Then I started reading and was caught up in the first chapter. I read through it in a matter of minutes. Beginning with the anecdote, my interest stayed until the end of the chapter. I received food for thought with the concluding Compassion Step and Community Step. For 2010, Simple Compassion will be part of my devotional reading.

Pick up your copy of Simple Compassion. Hopefully it will help you learn how to make a difference in your community and in your world!