Guest Author: Mary Y on Living Justly

Christians often know that they are called to engage in social issues affecting our world, to be “in the world but not of it” and to impact society for human flourishing in God’s name. However, often what stops us isn’t an awareness of what we should care about, but rather what we should do and where we should plug in. This can be especially true of those who are highly sensitive individuals, or what psychologists call, “highly sensitive persons” (HSP).

Put simply, a highly sensitive person is someone with a lower threshold for emotional and physical stimuli. They tend to be very empathetic and take on the emotional weight of others and issues that they care about. They are, therefore, are very susceptible to compassion fatigue or burn-out. This personality trait can overlap heavily with introversion, though it is not necessarily the same. 

When I first started my internship with BFJN, a friend of mine recommended I read a helpful little book called Social Justice for the Sensitive Soul by Dorcas Cheng-Tozun. In it, Cheng-Tozun details her journey from bright-eyed new grad to newlywed social entrepreneur to burn-out survivor during her career as a professional activist.

In reading this book, one of the first thoughts I had was “Man, I wish I had read this earlier!” As a young nurse, fresh out of college, I immediately dove headfirst into the frontlines of work with the marginalized. I landed my first job as an addiction treatment nurse, then shortly transitioned to a role in street medicine. In between, I danced with the idea of serving overseas with a Christian organization in an urban slum. All of this culminated in me suffering a number of chronic health issues that, coupled with a global pandemic, took an emotional and physical toll on my body that I hadn’t anticipated. Thankfully, I had the grace of God in my life, manifest as wise friends, mentors and health professionals who, along with Scripture and preaching, helped me shift my focus from work I felt burdened to do, to work that I “came alive” in. One of those avenues has been volunteering with BFJN’s Faith Leaders for Housing Justice group.

As I have read Cheng-Tozun’s book and reflected on my own experiences engaging in social justice work as a Christian, these are my key take-aways: 

• What causes matter to you? Cheng-Tozun argues that you don’t need to spend a lot of time dilly-dallying over where to “best” invest your efforts in social justice work. In today’s intersectional world, many causes overlap and Cheng-Tozun says there is freedom in not being locked into any one cause. The reality is, as you pursue volunteer or activist work in one area, it may lead you to pursue change in others. For me, the issue of homelessness has always been one that has weighed on my heart, from first learning about urban poverty in service-learning programs (like Micah Six:Eight) as a teenager, to moving to the city and seeing people in my neighborhood who were unhoused. However, as I’ve engaged in homeless service work, I’ve learned it overlaps significantly with other issues that I care about, such as addiction, mental health reform, healthcare inequality, and systemic racism. For me, there is great comfort in knowing that, by focusing on one area, I can also participate in moving the needle on other areas too — or that it is possible to tackle one issue from many different angles.
• What are your strengths? The book, true to its title, encourages readers to lean into the way God has wired them with their particular gifts. This is wonderful! Though not specifically written from a faith-based perspective, Cheng-Tozun’s focus on leaning into my unique strengths as a highly sensitive person fits well with the Christian theology of giftings (see Romans 12:6-8). Not sure what your strengths are? A good first step could be to take a talent inventory test, such as Strengthsfinders from the Gallup firm. Another simple step would be to ask those around you, “What am I good at?” You’ll be surprised at what people notice about us that we may never have realized! Another question you could ask yourself is, “What types of work do I like to do that others don’t?”. This can be really telling about the unique ways that God has gifted YOU. I am reminded of the quote by Frederick Buechner who said “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”
• Identify potential roles. Once you know your strengths, Cheng-Tozun suggests a list of potential roles where HSPs can be particularly skilled or thrive in. The roles are as follows:

• Connectors (Relational Activists)

• Creatives (Artists)

• Record Keepers (Archivists)

• Builders (Engineers)

• Equippers (Mentors)
• Researchers (Scientists)

I will let those who pick up Cheng-Tozun’s book read more in depth about each of these roles, but as I am looking at this list, I recognize parts of myself (creative, connector, record keeper, mentor) that have potential to be used in social justice work. One skill that I have been focusing on developing this summer is writing from an advocacy standpoint (like in this blog!)

• Lastly, Embrace your limits. One of my favorite things about this book was the consistently compassionate tone Cheng-Tozen takes on when discussing how to engage in social change work. She rejects what she calls the “Activist Ideal”, a reference to the standard social justice enthusiasts may impose on themselves to commit to a cause to the point of martyrdom, in favor of “Activism as you are”. Her book is riddled with real-life historic examples of people, some well-known and some not, who stumbled into activism, unintentionally did activist acts or engaged in activist causes later in life. She advocates for seasons in engaging in social justice work, and to lean on our less sensitive counterparts for support when our work becomes particularly draining. I learned this firsthand when I was trying to recommend this book to a friend of mine who doesn’t identify as “highly sensitive”. When I first mentioned the title, she asked me “What’s a highly-sensitive person?”. I tried to explain the premise of the book by asking her:
  
  “Well, do you ever feel overwhelmed with sadness or burdened by the difficult realities of the people you help?” (This friend is also passionate about volunteering and social justice.) 

“No.” she said, without skipping a beat.

So straightforward and blunt was her answer that it caught me off-guard. Then I thought, more power to her! We need people who are logical, driven and naturally resilient to the emotional onslaught of social issues. God has wired them with that strength and, together, we can fight the fights needed to move the Kingdom forward. 

Overall, I highly recommend Social Justice for the Sensitive Soul for anyone who has wanted to take a more active role in social issues that they care about, but don’t know where to begin. Whether or not you identify as a “highly sensitive person”, the book is chock full of valuable insights and stories that can help you find your place in God’s Kingdom work. 

Application Questions:

• We are all called to seek Justice (see Micah 6:8, Isaiah 58:6-8, and James 2:14-26) as part of our identity as Christians. How have you sought to engage in this call in your life? What has stopped you? What has encouraged you?
• Have you ever thought about how God has specifically “wired” you to serve Him and his Kingdom? What are some strengths that you can focus on developing further? 
• What social issues or injustices stir your heart to action? Put another way, what are some “unacceptable realities” in today’s world that you find incompatible with the Kingdom vision?
• In light of your self-identified strengths and causes, where are you being specifically called to “seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness”? (Matt 6:33)

References:

Cheng-Tozun, D. (2023). Social Justice for the sensitive soul: How to change the world in quiet ways. Broadleaf Books.