“Same Kind of Different as Me”—Book review

If you like reading books based on true stories and with a spiritual moral, read this one. 

It’s co-written by an art dealer and a homeless man. They tell about their unlikely meeting, and their even more unlikely friendship.

Regardless of which man you relate to more, you’ll still feel uncomfortable. They both have struggles. They both have prejudices. They both have an agonizing call of God on their lives.

But somehow, together, they create a beautiful bond, not just in spite of, but because of their differences.

You’ll probably learn a little about their two lifestyles along the way.From Denver, the homeless guy:

There’s something I learned when I was homeless: Our limitation is God’s opportunity.

…You’d be surprised what you can learn talkin to homeless people. I learned to accept life for what it is. Sometimes to touch us, God touches someone that’s close to us.

From Ron, the rich man:

Don’t catch and release no matter how difficult it gets.

Neither man will preach at you. Their book isn’t self-help.
They’re just telling their story.

Denver:

Even though I’m almost seventy years old, I got a lot to learn, too.

I used to spend a lotta time worryin that I was different from other people, even from other homeless folks. Then, after I met Miss Debbie and Mr. Ron, I worried that I was so different from them that we wadn’t ever gon’ have no kind a’ future.

But I found out everybody’s different—the same kind of different as me. We’re all just regular folks walkin down the road God done set in front of us.

The truth about it is, whether we is rich or poor or somethin in between, this earth ain’t no final restin place.

So in a way, we is all homeless—just workin our way toward home. 

But when you finish the book, don’t think you’re finished with the book.

You’ll be challenged in the Reader’s Guide to keep it going in your own life. Question your own prejudices (there are many kinds). Reevaluate your attitudes toward the homeless. Decide to do something about sickness and suffering, about forgiveness and faith.

If you want to read more, they wrote a second book: What Difference Do It Make? Stories of Hope and Healing. (My thanks to Thomas Nelson for piquing my interest in the second book by providing me with the first book.)

Find more info on both books at Ron and Denver’s homepage.

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This book had been on my “To Read” list for years (yeah, I’m kinda slow).

Mike Cope, a preacher I greatly respect, mentioned on his blog in 2008 that Same Kind of Different as Me was required reading for their incoming freshmen at Abilene Christian University. I wrote it down then.

Tim Challies did a great review here in ‘07.