PathLight Archives - Page 15 of 19

Building Our PathLight Team

For the last nine months PathLight has been searching for a new Belize Program Director. The search was international in scope and included dozens of good candidates. The process took longer than we anticipated, but that’s common when it is so important to find the right person.

The great news is that an incredible young leader has filled the position. Bryant Kong is our new Belize Program Director. He and his wife Hyojung, along with their young son, will be moving to Belize in late June.

Bryant brings great passion and energy to this position. Born and raised in San …

Within a yard of hell….

The English missionary C.T. Studd said, “Some want to live within the sound of a church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell.”

An admirable conviction! I have friends all over the world who are living that way, and I’m in awe of their perseverance. Courageous and faithful, they serve the poor, heal the wounded, and care for the least of these from Belize to Thailand to Zimbabwe and hundreds of places around the world.

Of course, in his day C.T. Studd was talking about an actual geographic location: far from the …

The Cultural Intelligence Difference, by David Livermore

Over the past couple of years I’ve been reading David Livermore’s books about cultural intelligence, or CQ as it is called. David has a knack for putting academic insights into readable form that make a complicated topic approachable. For instance, the first book of his that I read was “Serving With Eyes Wide Open” and it immediately went on the list of recommended books that I ask all PathLight International volunteers to read. I know the folks at The SOLD Project also utilize the book.

Subsequent books by Livermore about cultural leadership were excellent. They focused on the …

Holy Week Reflections – Pigeon Monday

What did Jesus have against pigeons? Or more specifically, against pigeon traders? To kick off Holy Week, I though I’d share an idea.

On the Monday of Easter week Jesus entered the temple grounds and tore the place up. It was always one of my favorite Bible stories when I was a kid. The vision of the Messiah overturning tables, driving people out, blocking people from bringing anything through the temple … it was all so exciting compared to the meek and mild stuff I was told about Jesus in most Sunday School lessons. This was a God who would …

You Are Fabulously Wealthy

You are fabulously wealthy.

We are all fabulously wealthy. Well, okay, not all of us. But if you have a computer and internet access and live in the USA, you are almost certainly among the most wealthy in the world. I could go on with stats about that … but you’ve heard them all before.

So don’t argue with me. I’m calling you fabulously wealthy.

Last Friday I wrote about a conversation I had with a young Silicon Valley business leader who asked, “Am I really following Jesus if I spend my time making more money for billionaires? Wouldn’t it …

Wealth, Work, and the World

Some of you may read this post and think, “Well, it doesn’t really apply to me…I’m not rich.”

Nonsense. If you make more than $24k a year, you are among the wealthiest 10% in the world. If you are a student, that too is a form of wealth that only the privileged enjoy. So even though you might not have stock options at Google, you are probably still a wealthy person.

Having said that … I’ll share a thought about how that wealth is an enormous responsibility.

I’m often asked by successful young businesspeople how they can make a difference …

Learning From the Poor, Elephant Rides, and Ranch Hands

About twelve hours from now I’ll be boarding a flight to Hong Kong, and then from there heading to Bangkok. I’ll be connecting with my daughter Thailand. She runs The SOLD Project, an effort in Northern Thailand that keeps kids out of the sexual slavery world. My time will be spent learning about this filthy side of the human experience, hearing the stories of those who have been caught up in it, and reflecting on how best to respond to the social, spiritual and economic structures that allow this to happen.

I’m really looking forward to seeing Rachel in …

Drifting from Prayer

My prayer life has drifted lately. Meetings, travels, and all the other exercises of life have drawn me away from the times of reflection and quiet that our souls need. What’s curious is that this happened without me even realizing it. My times of prayer continued, but my focus and energy had waned. Nothing new about this. It’s called life, I suppose, and such drifting is the part of the cyclical nature of a spiritual walk. But it’s still not what I want.

In the last week I have intentionally pushed the cycle toward prayer. My friend and colleague Mark …