Is privilege real or imagined? It’s clear that issues of race and equality have come to the forefront in our nation’s consciousness. Every week yet another incident involving racial tension splashes across headlines and dominates our news feeds. But it’s not easy to unpack the origins of these tensions, and perhaps we wonder whether any of these issues really has anything to do with us. Ken Wytsma, founder of The Justice Conference, understands these questions. He has gone through his own journey of understanding the underpinnings of inequality and privilege. In this timely, insightful book Wytsma unpacks what we need to know to be grounded in conversations about today’s race-related issues. And he helps us come to a deeper understanding both of the origins of these issues and of the reconciling role we are called to play as ministers of the gospel. Inequality and privilege are real. The Myth of Equality opens our eyes to realities we may have never realized were present in our society and world. And we will be changed for the better as a result.

The ONLY way to find abundant life and happiness is to give your life away. If God designed us to experience true happiness and abundant life, why do so many Christians feel dissatisfied and purposeless?¬† We try to make our lives better by chasing our own dreams, but that only makes the problem worse.¬† Instead, the path to a just life that‚Äôs satisfying and permeated with meaning leads us alongside the orphan, the widow, and the powerless.¬† Using clear evangelical theology and compelling narratives drawn from two decades of global ministry and travel, Ken Wytsma, the founder of The Justice Conference, shows God‚Äôs unchanging love for all His children.¬† On the way, the author calls us back to a proper understanding of biblical justice, a redeeming glimpse into the true meaning of righteousness and the remarkable connection between our own joy, the joy of others, and the wondrous Gospel of Jesus Christ. Pursuing Justice¬†shows that God isn‚Äôt primarily concerned with personal piety but about empowering His children to¬†do¬†justly, to¬†love¬†mercy, and to¬†walk¬†humbly with their creator.¬† The message is as hopeful as it is fresh: when you discover anew the meaning of the Gospel and give your life away, you¬†will¬†find it‚Ķand it will be the best life you can imagine. First-time author Wytsma (with an assist from Jacobsen) is one of the new breed of evangelical Christians returning to scripture to redeem justice as a central tenet of faith‚Ķ. Wytsma infuses his writing with fresh experiences from working with the millennial generation‚Ķ. ‚ÄúApathy tells us that it‚Äôs perfectly acceptable to live with illusions of our own justice,‚Äù he writes, neatly linking those concerns. This accessible guide provides trustworthy scriptural analysis, examples of contemporary justice issues‚Ķand a solid philosophy for understanding the role of justice in today‚Äôs society‚Ķ. ‚ÄúJustice cannot be divorced from God‚Äôs heart and purposes,‚Äù he writes. ‚ÄúIt permeates them.‚Äù Wytsma‚Äôs authorial voice is engaging, encouraging, and invitational. His humor helps the reader recognize her own humanity and transformative potential within the unfolding moral arc of the universe.–Publishers Weekly‚Äú Justice has become trendy. Ken Wytsma‚Äôs¬†Pursuing Justice¬†avoids all the pitfalls of trendiness. It exhibits a deep and accurate understanding of the nature of justice. It is an eye‚Äìopener.‚Äù‚ÄîNICHOL AS WOLTERSTORFF,¬†Noah Porter Professor Emeritus of Philosophical Theology, Yale University; Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture, University of Virginia ‚ÄúKen is a fresh voice of balance, humility, and collaboration. His enthusiasm is contagious and his challenge to the church to not only do justice, but to learn to do it well, is commendable.‚Äù‚ÄîKEITH WRIGHT,¬†International President of Food for the Hungry ‚ÄúKen Wytsma‚Äôs¬†Pursuing Justice¬†will rattle you. Not since C. S. Lewis put down his pen have readers been so provoked to think. It will change the way you approach others.‚Äù‚ÄîKAREN SPEARS ZACHARIAS,¬†Author ofA Silence of Mockingbirds¬†and¬†Will Jesus Buy Me a Double-Wide? ‚ÄúKen Wytsma not only brings us back to a biblical understanding of justice, but also humbly calls us to pursue it in practice. I was both enlightened and motivated.‚Äù‚ÄîRANDAL ROBERTS,¬†President of Western Seminary, Portland, OR ‚ÄúIn¬†Pursuing Justice, Ken is at the cutting edge of where God‚Äôs heart is. This book is timely and needs to be read by everyone in the church.‚Äù‚ÄîJOHN M . PERKINS,¬†Civil Rights Leader, Founder of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA), and Founder of The John Perkins Foundation for Reconciliation and Development

If we were made for relationship with God, why do we often feel lost and distant from Him?

The life of Christian faith is and always has been a beautifully awkward reality. Following Jesus is done—can only be done—in the messiness of this world into which we were all born. Yet many Christians expect the walk of faith to be easier, neater, and relatively devoid of hassles.

So perhaps it’s time for a frank conversation about the true nature of Christian faith. Maybe there are many desperately in need of a clear dialogue about how—despite living in a turbulent, chaotic world—our greatest joy is found in our pursuit of God.

In The Grand Paradox, Ken Wytsma seeks to help readers understand that although God can be mysterious, He is in no way absent.

• God‚Äôs ways are contradictory and counter to the way the world tells us to pursue happiness.
• Doubt is okay, it will accompany in the life of faith.
• What looks like struggle can actually be the most important and meaningful season of our lives.

This book is an exploration of the art of living by faith. It is a book for all those wrestling with the paradoxes that confront those who seek to walk with Christ. It’s an honest look at how faith works, here and now, in our culture, our time—and how to put down real roots and flourish in the midst of our messy lives.