Andrew Davidson tells of visiting Dr. Albert Schweitzer, the great humanitarian, theologian, musician, physician and missionary at his jungle hospital at Lambarene, on the banks of Ogowe River in Africa. Schweitzer was eighty-five years old at the time. One event stands out in Davidson’s mind.
It was about eleven in the morning. The equatorial sun was beating down mercilessly, and a group of visitors was walking up a hill with Dr. Schweitzer. Suddenly Schweitzer left the group and strode across the slope of the hill to a place where an African woman was struggling upward with a huge armload of wood for the fires to cook.
Davidson says he watched with both admiration and concern as the eighty-five-year old man took the entire load of wood and carried it on up the hill for the relieved woman.
When they all reached the top of the hill, one of the members of the group asked Dr. Schweitzer why he did things like that, implying that in that heat and at his age he should not.
Albert Schweitzer, looking right at his guests and pointing to the woman, said simply, “No one should ever have to carry a burden like that alone.”
Thanks to King Duncan for this wonderful story.
Whose heavy burden can you help carry while staying safe during this coronavirus pandemic?
I got a call yesterday from Delane Bailey-Herd at Food for the Poor. I have enjoyed working with her and Food for the Poor for over 15 years. She said they have containers with food and medicine ready to ship to the countries they serve in the Caribbean. Delane said that with the coronavirus the poor are really starving and need medicine. It would be great if you could help with the shipping costs. Please contact Food for the Poor: https://www.foodforthepoor.org. 1(800) 427-9104. Food for the Poor, 6401 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek, FL 33073
Please Identify your gift as SHIPPING.
Fr. Med Laz
