I began reading Escaping Materialism expecting a book on the use and misuse of money. Those expectations hindered my understanding the central message that lay hidden behind its misleading title. A better title for the book would have been "Reflections of a Christian on Homelessness in America."
As the author reflects on his own life in the light of a series of biblical texts, he forces us to face disturbing issues. Caywood's first job involved getting out the payroll for the Marriott Corporation. After an uneventful stay in corporate America he accepted the directorship of one of the biggest rescue missions in the United States. The most informative part of the book concerns Caywood's work in that mission, located in down town Los Angeles.
Daily contact with homeless men and women who are stripped of self-esteem allows Caywood to write about poverty with a sensitivity rarely found in Christian literature. The experience with the disinherited of Los Angeles that his family shared pushes into our attention human conditions that shake our dearly held myths. Our perception of the lower levels of our society cannot remain the same after reading this book.
Caywood expresses frustration in planning a new building. "As far as the public image goes, rescue missions are like jail.... If it's legal to put up buildings for the rich, like expensive condos, then it ought to be legal in the same neighbor hood to build low-cost apartments for the poor."
Although there are times readers might feel they have picked up a book on liberation theology, it soon becomes clear that the writer's thoughts flow from the prophets and the gospel.
Money is not the topic of this excellent volume. Instead, Caywood gives us some unique and valuable insights on homelessness in America.
