The Other Way
Photographer Oliver Curtis’ exhibit Volte-face (“about turn”) interacts with iconic landmarks—only his images capture what’s found in the opposite direction. So, when he arrived at Stonehenge, he turned 180 degrees before taking his pictures, capturing images that are typically ignored. Curtis says the photos “send [our] gaze elsewhere and . . . favor the incidental over the monumental.”
breaking bread
Several years ago, a friend and I were dining in a restaurant’s outdoor seating area. As we neared the end of our dinner, we noticed a man watching us from the sidewalk. His clothes were dirty, his face haggard. He walked up to us and with a cracked voice said, “When you finish your meal, if you have any leftovers, would you mind if I ate them?” We invited him to sit down, and we asked the waitress to bring him a grilled chicken and butter pasta entrée. For the next half hour, he told us bits of his story.
use what you have
In 2008, economists confirmed that the UK was in recession. Sure enough, in time, as many as one in ten people lost their jobs, and the normally bustling “high streets” fell silent as many well-known companies became insolvent.
i am hunger
In a previous article, I wrote about four severely malnourished siblings that I have been daily feeding. The children—Joshua, Mirika, Ashaba, Katseme— look drastically different now that they’ve been receiving nutritious food on a regular basis. Their stomachs are no longer bloated and their skin is no longer covered with sores. And their hair is no longer falling out in…
radical love
Julio Diaz stepped off the late-night subway en route to his favorite diner when a knife-wielding teen demanded his wallet. Diaz handed the wallet over; but as the mugger began to walk away, Diaz stopped him. “If you’re going to be robbing people for the rest of the night,” Diaz said, “you might as well take my coat to keep…
bottle of water
When I was riding a jeepney (kind of a jeep bus) from school, someone poked my knee. When I looked back, I realized that it was a boy beggar around twelve years old. He was asking for food, but I had nothing, so I said, "None." People near him began moving away from him because he was bruised, dirty, and…
receiving and deceiving
My husband and I were leaving a restaurant one evening when a distraught couple approached us. Their story? Car problems. From out of town. Waiting for their ride. We responded with compassion, desiring to help them and possibly introduce them to Jesus. We even went to buy two meals and brought them to the hotel where they said they were…
too proud to receive
Shaina attends a service for 20-somethings at her church. The group is small but growing, and they’re starting to reach out in innovative ways to their community.
In the past year, nearly 30 people in the church have lost their jobs. So her group decided to get donations of food from individuals and businesses. They were amazed at the generosity.…
because you are here
Have you ever been short of money when it really mattered? As a college student working on a post-graduate degree, Keith Taylor worked three jobs. When his car broke down, he had to decide: pay the rent, or repair the car? He fixed his Ford Escort and would have been evicted if it hadn’t been for a bighearted boss who…
red bag
A local Christian church left an empty red bag on our doorstep with a note asking for food donations. I took it inside and tossed it on the kitchen counter, mentally excusing myself from assisting because: A. It wasn't my church, B. I'd just finished a similar project, and C. I had a zillion things to do.
The next morning when I was…
water for the people
Shortly after moving to Uganda, I opened my home to two AIDS orphans. The other night I took the youngsters out for dinner. On the way home I aimed the car lights on a rock quarry and said, "There are many Ugandans who can't afford to go to school. Without an education, they have to do hard jobs like working…
