Book Review: Serving with Eyes Wide Open

The book addresses the need for cultural intelligence when doing short-term missions. Livermore points out that “the combined income of the 447 wealthiest people in the world is more money than the combined income of 50% of the world’s population” (p. 22). This, among various other snapshots, opens my eyes to the enormity of global issues. By all examples, a reader might begin to wonder whether he or she would be doing more harm than good in serving on a short-term mission trip.

A focus on cultural intelligence provides ways to nurture growth and effectiveness when serving. Read the book to learn about knowledge CQ or the level of knowing about cross-cultural differences often gained through study. Learn about interpretive CQ and about the accurate interpretation of the cues received from cross-cultural experiences. Understand perseverance CQ to measure the degree of commitment in pushing through cultural conflicts. And know about behavioral CQ to develop the ability to act appropriately when interacting cross-culturally.

The author does not promise that the most culturally intelligent individual will emerge following the reading, but instead prompts readers to be mindful and to practice some of the skills before serving in short-term missions. The book was a great read only if you’re willing to deeply explore your own attitudes and to be humbled by the ignorance you may have been in before reading. In the end, the lifelong journey of short-term missions and cultural intelligence are worth the effort so that I might love others better.