Inspired by Scholastica

Lee Forge, a good friend, was killed in a car accident last week. At his wake there were many testimonials about his spirituality, dedication, care for others, enjoyment of life, and many other virtues. The one that struck me most was his preparedness. Whether it was skiing, or cooking, counnseling, or hospice volunteering, he always prepared with great discipline. To be a skillful skier, he would practice all year in his garage with a machine that helped develop his muscles and strength to conquer the slopes. To be an excellent cook, he perfected his recipes by frequent practice. To be an effective counselor, he studied, listened and used every skill he had to encourage his clients. To accompany people who are dying, he comforted and prayed with them through all their pain and questioning. He never did anything half-heartedly. It was all or nothing with Lee. He was genuine and generous in all his relationships. I'm sure he was prepared to meet his God on that fatal day, sinc...

    I had not heard about the Rohingya people until reading about them in a recent Commonweal . The Rohingya are a Muslim minority in Myanmar (Burma) estimated at about one million people. The Myanmar government regards them as illegal immigrants even though they have only known life in Myanmar. According to Human Rights Watch, laws discriminate against them, denying their freedom of movement, education, property rights, and employment. Thousands are currently fleeing to Bangladesh because of persecution by the government. In fact, many believe that this is comparable to the Rwanda genocide in 1994. This is most troubling since the current de facto leader in Myanmar is Aung San Suu Kyi, the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. She has long fought for human rights and a democratic government, but seems to have no control over the military who are carrying out what the United Nations human rights chief has called a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing.” Rohingya who've f...

Lamont McIntyre, an African-American, relishes his freedom after spending 23 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. His mother supported and believed in his innocence, and worked untiringly to have him exonerated. Only 17 when he was convicted, he survived by educating himself and holding onto his relationship with God. "My Christianity, my spirituality keeps me grounded," McIntyre said. "Every day is a new one. . . And happiness is something you have to choose. And I had to choose that for myself." He also learned that "fear is something that cripples you. I can't be crippled. I would rather just live.. .I just want to enjoy and celebrate my freedom." Those were valuable lessons to learn when months piled into years and years piled into over two decades. Now that he is free he wants to help others. "I want to be able to impact someone's life in a way that will help them grow as individuals, help them get through difficult ti...

Nadia Murad Most women in the U.S. take their freedom for granted. Not so the Yazidi women in northern Iraq. They live in fear of being captured by ISIS or other extremist groups, raped, beaten and kept enslaved. Nadia Murad was a young girl when she was first captured from her village by ISIS fighters and saw her family murdered. She managed to escape and reach safety with the help of a kind family. Now, three years later, she has become an advocate for her people. After finding refuge in Germany and telling her story, she is making the world aware of the atrocities her people are enduring and demanding that ISIS be held accountable for its crimes against the Yazidis. She is tired of telling of her experience and does not seek publicity. But her story has helped awaken the UN, the United States and others to the suffering of her people. This year Iraq is allowing independent investigators to gather evidence of ISIS crimes, the first step in holding the group accountable. for ...

Can schools teach empathy? Denmark thinks so and has added social and emotional learning to their curriculum. Denmark is serious about teaching social skills, which is one reason it's often ranked as the world's 'happiest' country, according to the  Christian Science Monitor Weekly   (Sept. 18, 2017). It also ranks high in "caring, freedom, health, and income." Danish teachers pay attention to children's emotional needs and acceptance of others. They teach about well-being, respect, and how to be social. This was partly an outcome of the influx of immigrants into the country in recent years and partly a way to deal with the prevalence of social media. There is a greater emphasis on empathy and caring for others. Not all parents support this addition to the curriculum. Some feel that it is the parents' duty to teach these skills. Others feel it conflicts with academic excellence. But teachers feel it is essential in combatting bullying and booing ...