Sometimes, academic study has the reputation of cloistering people away in the "ivory tower," disconnected from the realities of the world outside. But when academic rigor comes together with real-world knowing of its subject, the result can be powerful.

UC Berkeley anthropologist Seth Holmes spent a year and a half living and working alongside indigenous Mexican migrant workers working in Washington State's Skagit valley. Picking blueberries and strawberries, living in uninsulated plywood shacks, and working to meet the same quotas as the other workers, Holmes worked 1-2 days per week in the fields, and used the rest of his time to interview farm owners, migrants, and others. Detailed in a recent book, Holmes shares insights into the migrant's world that he would never have truly understood if he had not been so personally invested in his research.

Possible Preaching Angle:

It's a reminder of the power of incarnation, and that there's no knowledge like earned knowledge. How much more does Christ understand our human plight from taking on our humanity?