In his book, Hometown Tales, Quaker pastor Philip Gulley discusses two ways to measure growth. The first is a traditional method which has been used by parents for eons. Once a year, you stand the kids up next to a wall in their stocking feet and draw a line on the wall to measure the past year's growth. Gulley's parents measured him that way for years, and he measured his sons that way too. The [Read More …]
THE POWER OF A SMALL GROUP
When we listen to our dysfunctional congress and our eyes glaze over from the nightly news, it’s time to remind ourselves of Margaret Mead’s famous quote: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Our last column on Inequality: a Global Problem highlighted the work being done by four individuals who [Read More …]
Inequality: a Global Problem
Several years ago I read that if you aren’t working on a problem that can’t be solved in less than a hundred years, you aren’t working on a big enough problem. Today there is one problem that is so big it is felt in every corner of the world. That problem is Inequality. Awareness of the impact of inequality on every aspect of our lives is growing and as a result an increasing number of people [Read More …]
Uniform Symbols of Equality
The photo above was taken at a junior high school in Guatemala where the government only provides free education through the sixth grade. Can you tell from the picture which kids are there on scholarships? Would you be able to pick out which boys have to wash their own shirt every day and spread it on a bush to dry because their mothers are working too hard to help feed their families to do it [Read More …]
HOW MUCH LESS IS ENOUGH?
John D. Rockefeller was once asked by a reporter how much money is enough. His famous answer was, “Just a little bit more.” Really folks, that’s what America’s first billionaire said: “Just a little bit more.” What do you suppose his answer would have been if he had been asked, “How much less is enough?” Do you know what your answer would be to that question? And if you discovered you [Read More …]
TRAVEL PERSPECTIVES
Years ago, when I went through a long period of wrestling with my faith, I listened to a song by Rev. Carey Landry over and over and over. I sought my God; my God eluded me. I sought my soul; my soul I could not see. I sought my brother one day, and suddenly I found all three.* It took a long time for me to recognize the importance of that last line because I wasn’t thinking in global [Read More …]
Forgiveness: What It Is and What It Isn’t
Ironically, one of the most expensive gifts in the world doesn’t cost a cent. It is a gift we give ourselves, even though we think we are giving it to someone else. Hard won and often years in coming, it is the gift of forgiveness. Whether we recognize them as such or not, the words Jesus spoke on the cross, “Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing,” are meant for you and me, [Read More …]
Is It Time to Make Changes?
While tiny houses are a small but growing trend in the United States, there are many countries where they are the norm--not by choice, perhaps, but by local custom and/or necessity caused by lack of land, building materials, and financial resources. The tiny, circular homes in this picture are typical of those found in Botswana. While the structures provide sleeping quarters and shelter from [Read More …]
The Money We Don’t Give Away
Tithing is the Biblical term that means giving away 10% of all we earn. When I referred to that during a class I was leading, one of the participants said, “You mean we get to keep 90%!?” Yes, if you want to, and you can also use much of that 90% to make a difference in the world without giving it by carefully choosing where we bank, spend, and invest. Jim Marsh Jr. says he is sleeping a [Read More …]
MONEY: A HAPPINESS GUARANTEE?
Winning it big in a lottery doesn’t guarantee happiness, regardless of the size of the jackpot. So if money can’t guarantee a state of bliss for us, what can? The two-word answer to that question seems to be: Nothing material. Happiness isn’t for sale. But you can earn it by the way you live your life. Recently our pastor told us about a study that found the key to happiness is knowing that you [Read More …]