If you could spare me a few moments, I would like to tell you about a young boy who left a lasting mark on my life. The events took place many years ago, when HIV and AIDS were still widely misunderstood in Cambodia. Effective treatment was not yet available, and fear often overshadowed compassion. Many…
At some point, the boundary between seeker and source dissolves.We stop reaching outward and begin to listen inward,discovering that the light we once followed has always been our own.To embody the divine is not to claim greatness,but to accept the sacred responsibility of being alive. I’ve spent much of my life watching leaders—pastors, mentors, elders—carry…
For several years, I worked as a counselor at a Youth Center in the southwestern United States. While the work had its rewards, it also had its drawbacks. I worked primarily with disadvantaged Navajo and Zuni youth. I also ran a center for the Spanish youth in the area. Most lived on the wrong side…
We live inside a pod. It shelters us, shapes us, and gives us form. Yet the pod is not life itself; it is only a vessel. One day it must break open, and what is within will continue on. For much of my life, I searched for certainty in mysteries. I wanted proof of a…
I’ve often wondered why injustice thrives while truth and honesty remain dammed behind corruption, lies, and misdeeds — a barrier controlled by criminals guilty of horrific crimes against humanity. We long for justice; we crave the truth. Yet none dare throw the first stone, for beneath our polished exteriors lies the same shadowed humanity, the…
My first awareness of different levels of humanity came while serving in the military at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland. After being wounded and rescued by a renegade medivac team from what was supposed to be a suicide mission during the first days of Operation Allen Brook, I was sent there to recover. In need…
A few years ago, my RCA television remote stopped working. I went to the local market in Phnom Penh, where I knew that if I found one replacement, I’d find a hundred more piled high in baskets. Because of my poor eyesight, I prefer remotes with large buttons and clear letters. After some searching, I…
In the Northern parts of the United States, the roads are quiet. No cities to slow you down, no travelers to share the miles. Cruising at a hundred in a Thunderbird feels effortless when you’re the only one on the highway. Everything was smooth until I reached the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where the sky…
The past few weeks have been a whirlwind with Melinda and Kate visiting. Their presence brought us closer to many Wat Opot children and families, reminding me how much I cherish stepping into a grandparent’s role, supporting without leading, watching parents guide their little ones with love. While Dr. Kate was here, a former Watopotian…
As a boy, my father played semiprofessional baseball in Grandville, Michigan. He earned a few dollars each game, but money was tight, and our family often couldn’t afford tickets. Mom, ever resourceful, usually found a way to get us in, until one night a new gatekeeper refused. Dad went inside to sign in, while Mom…