How do you turn a Stanford-trained mechanical engineer into a Christian activist? Send her on a global poverty immersion trip. That was Nikki Toyama-Szeto's story. Now, after serving in leadership positions at International Justice Mission, the Urbana Conference and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, she is the executive director of Christians for Social Action, the network originally founded by Ron Sider.

Nikki shares with the Better Samaritan the biggest mistake Christian activists make, why Christians for Social Action recently dropped the word "Evangelicals" from their name, and what it's been like, as an Asian American, to watch issues of race play out elsewhere in the U.S. And don't miss Kent's favorite part of the conversation: Nikki's take on how the art of trapeze flying relates to justice work.

RESOURCES:

Nikki's recommended action point: New Initiatives by Christians for Social Action

"On Being a Good Neighbor", sermon draft by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This episode produced by Laura Finch

Theme Song “Turning Over Tables” by The Brilliance

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(Note to the listener: In this podcast, sometimes we'll have evangelicals, sometimes we won't. We thinking learning how to do good better involves listening to lots of perspectives, with different insights and understanding with us. Sometimes it will make us uncomfortable, sometimes we'll agree, sometimes we won't. We think that's good. We want to listen for correction. Especially in our blind spots.)

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