Ken Boutwell and I became fast friends soon after he sent me a manuscript to publish as his first book in 2016. He was referred to my publishing company by a mutual friend who was his pastor at First Baptist Church in Tallahassee, Florida..
He told me at that time that he was also working on a second book which would address racism and bigotry throughout history with an invitation to join him and others in changing these cruel cultures around the world
Knowing Ken's kind nature, I don't why I had this thought, but I did: "Another book by an angry and judgmental author who was trying to make a difference with the usual judgmental diatribe against other judgmental and angry bigots and racists.." That thought was totally wrong.
When I received the manuscript, I quickly realized that this book approached racism and bigotry with a different paradigm-kindness. Boutwell wrote about this malignancy with kindness and hope. Kindness to well-meaning people who were captured by cruel cultures and hope for a future where the largest gathering of racists and bigots would not be each week in houses of worship around the world.
Let Justice and Mercy Flow is a primer for anyone who is seeking to live in the world as a non-racist and non-bigoted person.
Ken begins his book clearly aware that he, himself, was from a culture which was cruel and unyielding to anyone who was different than his white church, white family, and white friends. He knew there had to be a better way to live than where white people built and maintained an economy and society where non-white people were routinely oppressed and persecuted. As a result, Ken and his wife committed to live a a life and to teach their children to lead lives where they treated all people with the love, respect and equality that Christ worked so hard to teach us.
Boutwell ends his book with a call to a better way to live - a way of hope and love for all, especially for those who are non-white, non-Christian, and non-male.
The appeal of Let Justice and Mercy Flow is to join others of all faiths, genders, ethnicities who have committed to Loving And Serving Each Other (LASEO) Toward the end of the book, Boutwell invites his readers to sign a Loving And Serving Each Other Manifesto in order to change a cruel culture of bigotry and prejudice to a just and compassionate one.
As Bonhoeffer is quoted on the back cover, "Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak, Not to act is to act."
If you choose to join the LASEO movement, let us know by sending an email to join@laseonow, com. We'll add your name to our mailing list so you'll know what you and others are doing to unravel cruel cultures and embrace compassionate ones.
David Russell Tullock
Fall 2023