Category / Random Reflections

I’ve modified this illustration from Dr David Werner’s book, Where There is No Doctor. I think it nicely illustrates some of the complexities in dealing with social issues of all kinds. As humans, we have different world views and backgrounds …

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 It was a humid summer morning at the Therapeutic Feeding Center (TFC) that served five over-crowded refugee camps in Sierra Leone. The Center was a complex of large tents populated by over a hundred severely malnourished children (ages 1 month …

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 I recently finished G.K. Chesterton’s biography of Saint Francis of Assisi. Chesterton (1874-1936) did an amazing job at trying to setup the historical/cultural context in which Saint Francis lived. I was slightly annoyed with this approach at first but later …

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Have you ever had the experience of being brinked? The Oxford dictionary defines the noun “brink” as the extreme edge of something (like a cliff) or a point at which something (typically something unwelcome) is about to happen. Similarly, …

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geog07a[1]Centuries before a person could earn a master’s degree in humanitarian studies, social work, or international development, ancient societies enacted laws to protect the poor and needy of their communities. One of the earliest examples of such a law dates …

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As a new resident in Sweden I had 12 months to get a Swedish driver’s license before I’m relegated to pedestrian, bus or bicycle status. I must say, learning to drive “Swedish” style for this 52 year old foreign grown …

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The taxi cab drivers in Dublin make a good first impression. This week I was on a short business trip to Waterford via Dublin. I used five different taxis during the week and all five drivers were chatty, cheerful, charming, …

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It is some times interesting (but often unconvincing) to listen to experts discuss strategies on how to eliminate poverty. One of the most profound statements I’ve heard in this discussion comes (unsurprisingly) from Mother Teresa. She frames the problem differently …

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 I think most would agree it is a fundamental error to lump all of the poor together as if they were a monolithic group. Not all people are poor for the same reasons, and therefore not all can ultimately be …

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For more than thirty years I have read, studied and meditated on Scripture. To me, this has been an important aspect of experiencing the presence of God an finding wisdom & direction in life. A friend of mine from Australia …

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