Synopses & Reviews
loving the unloved of society
“I realize that God brought me into this world, blessed with skills
and talents. The only thing that makes sense to me is to use them in the
service of the poor. It is at their feet that I find myself.”
or almost ten years, Gary Smith, S.J., lived and worked among the poor of Portland, Oregon. With this memoir, he invites us to walk with him and meet some of the abandoned, over-looked, and forgotten members of our society with whom he has shared his life. Just as Smith found a deeper, truer understanding of himself and of the heart of God through his work, these people and their stories stand to transform us.
“Although its subject matter is bleak, the book is not. Smith has found love amid the despair. His book is touching, at times hopeful, and the kind of book that is hard to put down, that fascinates, horrifies, and rivets one’s attention.”
—Booklist
“Smith takes us where we would rather not go, the heart of the poor, the lonely, and the abandoned. In true Ignatian fashion, he finds God there. An unforgettable experience for those who have the courage to walk with him.”
—Michael L. Cook, S.J.
Professor of theology
Gonzaga University
“Smith performs modern-day miracles of compassion, and his book sets a
new standard for writing about the rich faith of those who are materially
poor. His stirring prose and utter honesty will change the
hearts and minds of many readers.”
—Gerald T. Cobb, S.J.
Chair, department of English
Seattle University
loving the unloved of society
“I realize that God brought me into this world, blessed with skills
and talents. The only thing that makes sense to me is to use them in the
service of the poor. It is at their feet that I find myself.”
or almost ten years, Gary Smith, S.J., lived and worked among the poor of Portland, Oregon. With this memoir, he invites us to walk with him and meet some of the abandoned, over-looked, and forgotten members of our society with whom he has shared his life. Just as Smith found a deeper, truer understanding of himself and of the heart of God through his work, these people and their stories stand to transform us.
“Although its subject matter is bleak, the book is not. Smith has found love amid the despair. His book is touching, at times hopeful, and the kind of book that is hard to put down, that fascinates, horrifies, and rivets one’s attention.”
—Booklist
“Smith takes us where we would rather not go, the heart of the poor, the lonely, and the abandoned. In true Ignatian fashion, he finds God there. An unforgettable experience for those who have the courage to walk with him.”
—Michael L. Cook, S.J.
Professor of theology
Gonzaga University
“Smith performs modern-day miracles of compassion, and his book sets a
new standard for writing about the rich faith of those who are materially
poor. His stirring prose and utter honesty will change the
hearts and minds of many readers.”
—Gerald T. Cobb, S.J.
Chair, department of English
Seattle University
Synopsis
For more than 25 years, Gary Smith, SJ, has been helping the poor as he lives among them and ministers to their needs. In Radical Compassion, Smith chronicles his life and work in the poverty-stricken Old Town section of Portland, Oregon. These touching and often heart-breaking stories reveal the problems and issues facing the growing homeless population in our country. As we witness Smith helping the poor, we learn the lessons of love, forgiveness, and acceptance that have radically changed his heart—and can radically change ours, as well.
About the Author
Gary Smith, SJ, worked for six years with the Jesuit Refugee Service in Sudanese refugee camps in Uganda. He is the author of They Come Back Singing, a journal of his time in Uganda, Radical Compassion, an account of his ministry to the poor and disabled in Portland, Oregon, and Street Journal
Table of Contents
contents
chapter one
People with Nothing to Prove: Living among the Poor ¦ 1
chapter two
Cockroaches, Conversation, and Collectors: Inside the SROs ¦ 5
chapter three
Talking with Mannequins: Mental Illness on the Streets ¦ 27
chapter four
What Are You Into?: The Search for Indignation ¦ 53
chapter five
Crashing and Burning: The Insanity of Drugs and Alcohol ¦ 61
chapter six
To Love and Be Loved: Relationships in the Streets ¦ 81
chapter seven
Street Scenes: Glimpses of Old Town ¦ 91
chapter eight
Go in Peace: Celebrating Mass in Old Town ¦ 107
¦ contents
chapter nine
Jailhouse Prayers: Learning to Trust behind Bars ¦ 119
chapter ten
Poverty Is Not a Crime: Eddie’s Letter ¦ 135
chapter eleven
The Leper: Robert’s Story ¦ 141
chapter twelve
Ashes in the Wind: Death in the World of the Homeless ¦ 155
chapter thirteen
The Pearls of My Life: What Keeps Me Going ¦ 185