The Purpose Gap (Patrick B. Reyes) -- A Review
THE PURPOSE GAP: Empowering Communities of Color to Find Meaning and Thrive. By Patrick B. Reyes. Foreword by Starsky D. Wilson. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2021. Xi + 238 pages.
The truth that is present in The Purpose Gap, written by Patrick Reyes, is that some people face greater barriers in their pursuit of answers to these questions. Speaking as a white male, I’ve struggled at times with these questions, but I’ve faced fewer obstacles in pursuing the answer to my questions than is true for others. One of the obstacles is a gap that exists for those who inhabit communities of color between opportunity and purpose. Identifying these barriers and gaps, some of which are internalized, so that one can find a successful pathway to discovering one's purpose in life is the focus of Patrick Reyes’ The Purpose Gap. It is a book written to and for communities of color. So, if you’re like me, you will find yourself reading mail sent to someone else. What you read, if you’re white and male and straight, may make you a bit uncomfortable. But straight talk can do that!
Having
invited the reader to contemplate how one might go about filling the purpose
gap (in community), Reyes takes up his third question in Part Three. That
question is: What is My Purpose? The first chapter in the section is a
transitional one as it continues to focus on the how of filling the purpose
gap. He uses the story of the four men who carry the paralytic to Jesus.
Drawing from the story he titles the chapter "Carry Your Corner."
According to Reyes, the purpose of the chapter is to explore "the
importance of all the gifts of the community coming together to move
individuals and the community toward healing, justice, and accomplishing the
impossible." (p. 143). Again, he focuses on the importance of community,
of working together, to discern one's purpose. This includes the persons who
have guided us and helped us along the way. With the how addressed, in the
final chapter, he invites the reader to consider what thriving looks like. For
Reyes, "thriving is the feeling you have when you see the next generation
running, playing, and laughing without care. . .. Thriving, for those on the
brink of survival, is celebrating those moments when love overcomes the threat
of oppression and freedom of the mind and body take hold for even just a
moment" (p. 182).
Reading
books like The Purpose Gap as a white male I’m reminded that I’ve had
lots of help along the way. More importantly, perhaps, I’ve had plenty of
models to follow. After all, the faculty of most theological seminaries is
composed of white males. That was especially true back when I went through the system
in the 1980s and 1990s. Things are changing, but the barriers remain. Thus,
there is the need for books like this that chart a path for those who are
coming along. While Reyes writes from the context of theological education, he
isn’t only writing for those who are pursuing this vocational path. Reyes has a
vision for his own home community, desiring to see the folks back in Salinas,
and places like that, find their purpose and thrive. That is true no matter the
chosen vocation. Like many books that speak to communities of color, this can
be a bit challenging for persons like me. Part of me wants to push back and tell
the author that I’ve had challenges also. While that is true, they are
different and they’re not systemic. Besides, Reyes didn’t write this book to or
for me. Nevertheless, while he addresses those who face the greatest barriers to
the process of discerning meaning and purpose in life, there is wisdom here
that applies to all of us. In the end, I am grateful for having the opportunity
to sit with this book. And, may it be a blessing to its intended audience, the communities
and persons Reyes envisions finding their way across the purpose gap.
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