Tried With Fire

I was listening to a series of lectures recently -   Redefining Reality from the Great Courses Company. The overall subject is how science has influenced philosophy throughout history. It's been interesting, but this section jumped out of the speaker at me. This quote is taken from the course notes: "How do we determine what constitutes human success, and who makes that determination? It is, in the end, a political question, and political questions are sometimes resolved by rational means, but they are always a function of power . Natural selection develops in accordance with changing environmental stresses, while artificial selection such as animal husbandry, proceeds according to the whims of those in power. Eugenics (animal husbandry applied to people) will inevitably give those with power the ability to define what counts as human flourishing, and this will always resemble those who already have the power. " (italics mine) The powerful determining human worth...

Ministries of Mercy  by Timothy J. Keller, P&R Publishing, 1997. The book is divided into two sections: principles and practice. In the first part, Keller gives a biblical basis for mercy ministry. We may have the misguided idea that poverty is strictly lack of material wealth, but it's spiritual. We are all needy in the sight of God. We've been alienated from Him and each other by sin, the result of which is poverty and injustice. But as those who have been shown mercy, we should extend mercy to others by ministering to them in word and in deed. This includes meeting physical needs but also seeking to meet the deepest need of all with the gospel. The second section gives practical advice for fleshing out mercy ministry in the context and under the leadership of the local church. Keller doesn't promote a single model as every situation is different. He gives examples of ministries that have worked well and those that have not. Also the goal is to help the  ind...