Risky Compassion

The burly guy met us at a McDonald’s in downtown Bangkok. A friendly smile and Aussie accent made him immediately likable. He introduced himself as Ash Barker. My first impression was of another big hearted missionary type who wanted to change the world by loving the poor. An admirable goal, but I meet such people all the time. Few of them have the gravitas to hold my attention for long, and I assumed Ash was going to be much the same.

Boy, was I wrong.

A group of us followed Ash through the Klong Toey Slum of Bangkok. He greeted people by name and was clearly well liked in the neighborhood. Our first stop was a church, but it was also a school, a micro-enterprise center, a sports facility, and a community center. All under Ash’s watch. It was impressive.

Then we went through a maze of little corridors and ended up at his house. We met his wife Anji, an impressive spitfire of a woman who pulled no punches about what life is like in the slum.

At some point in the tour Ash and I had a chance to talk one-on-one. It didn’t take long for us to connect on multiple levels, and I began to realize he was a more dynamic and thoughtful leader than I first realized. Ash is an intellectual force to be reckoned with on the topics of theology, poverty, and our role as followers of Jesus to change the world. He’s the real deal, and his understanding of the poor is deep on every level: academic, spiritual, experiential.

That walk with Ash was almost a year ago now. Since then he has released his latest book, Risky Compassion. The book explores the story of the Good Samaritan, offering a brilliant portrayal of the cultural context for the story. Ash lets us hear and read the story through the eyes/ears of the people who first heard it when Jesus first told the parable. I’ve read and studied this story for 50-years, but Risky Compassion gave me a whole new appreciation for the nuances and brilliance of Jesus’ words. Hard for me to give any higher praise about a book.

One of the things I love about Ash is he doesn’t self-promote. He’s honest, transparent, and isn’t buying into the whole “buy my book because I want your affirmation” thing. That’s probably why the book is with a small publisher, with only a few reviews on Amazon. But it deserves far, far more. This is a hidden jewel that you need to enjoy and admire.

Buy Risky Compassion. Read it. And tell others about it. You’ll be better informed, challenged by the insights, and then maybe Ash will get the recognition he deserves in the way he deserves.