An inspiring collection of readings that will raise deep questions about service and its roots in faith.

There is a deep yearning among the vast majority of people of all religious and philosophical traditions to make real their most enduring shared principles-to care for creation, to serve others with compassion, and to protect and enhance the gift of life…. We believe that reflecting on these principles strengthens our capacity to embody them.
-from the Introduction

Explore the connections between faith, service, and social justice through the prose, verse, and sacred texts of the world’s great faith traditions-Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism and more. Drawing from diverse literary genres, religious and philosophical perspectives and historical periods, these short and provocative readings cut to the heart of the many obstacles and joys that accompany lives devoted to faith and service:

Why do I serve? * Whom do I serve? * How do I serve?

This rich collection will create a platform for discussing and understanding the faith-based service of others as well as inspire you to reflect on the meaning behind your own commitment to improving the world.

Contributors:

Umar Faruq Abd-Allah * Jane Addams * Sholom Aleichem * Bidpai * Cesar Chavez * Chuang-Tzu * Dorothy Day * Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni * Mahatma Gandhi * Linda Gregg * Hafiz * Hamzayusuf * Thich Nhat Hanh * Mark Helprin * Abraham Joshua Heschel * Gerard Manley Hopkins * Kabir * Martin Luther King Jr. * The Dalai Lama * Anne Lamott * Lao-Tzu * Abraham Lincoln * Maimonides * Valerie Martin * Gabriela Mistral * Mikhail Naimy * Friedrich Nietzsche * Tim O'Brien * Flannery O'Connor * Mary Oliver * George Orwell * John Oskison * Eboo Patel * Peggy Payne * I. L. Peretz * Rumi * Ryokan * Tayeb Salih * Harold M. Schulweis * Leslie Marmon Silko * Anna Swir * Rabindranath Tagore * William Trevor * Shih Te * Swami Vivekananda * Walt Whitman