In his work as a medical ethicist, my friend and mentor Dr. Robert Potter (M.D., Ph.D.) would instruct his students that “learning statistics is learning probabilities,” not actualities in each individual instance. The problem all too frequently arises that medical professionals “translate probabilities into individuals. That’s not possible.” They mistakenly turn their rightful pursuit of objectivity and realism into “thinking they know what will happen in each and every individual case. They need to understand that they have statistical knowledge,... Read more

Christopher has always had a special place in his heart for Dr. John M. Perkins. Here is a picture of them taken in Vancouver, Washington several years ago. So, the other day, I called and left a message for Dr. Perkins, asking him to call me about an urgent matter, if at all possible. We hadn’t spoken in awhile, but his influence on me and impact on my family haven’t waned. Nor has his remembrance of Christopher. The very first... Read more

I must confess I feel as if I have been living in hell ever since we received the news of my son Christopher’s traumatic brain injury and emergency surgery in January. But if I am totally honest, I need to add that I have also experienced glimpses of heaven breaking into this nightmare. I told a friend last night that the entire saga got me to thinking of the atheist existentialist philosopher Jean Paul Sartre’s play titled “No Exit.” The play... Read more

Care givers must also care for themselves. Some may think this statement suggests selfishness. To the contrary, if those who provide care for people in great need do not take care of themselves, they will eventually burn out and not be able to help anyone. Regardless of whether Jesus was ever in danger of burning out, he did indeed withdraw at various times from caring for people’s great needs to be alone with God. Whether it was to recharge his... Read more

The Bible and the Christian calendar make ample space for lament, which is the expression of deep and passionate grief and suffering. It is important to note that forty percent of the Psalms feature lament. Jesus quotes from a psalm of lament while hanging on the cross. Jesus utters the cry of dereliction taken from Psalm 22:1 as he hangs from that shameful scaffold. The question he recites also hangs in midair. The following quotation from Psalm 22 begins with... Read more

Today is Ash Wednesday. It marks the beginning of Lent. Ash Wednesday features our human sinfulness and mortality. Christians in various traditions will wear an ashen sign of the cross on their foreheads to visualize the symbolism. However, this is not the last word, as Ash Wednesday and Lent point forward to Jesus’ victory over sin and death in his crucifixion and resurrection. As I reflected this morning on Ash Wednesday, I recalled a song from a movie. No, it... Read more

You may have heard the language of couples exchanging their marriage vows “at the altar”. The altar is often taken to signify God’s presence at the front of the church. There at the altar, couples pledge before God to love one another purely, unconditionally, and sacrificially until death parts them. Today is Valentine’s Day. People who are dating may be considering marriage. Those already married may be renewing their vows. No matter our marital or romantic state, those of us... Read more

Every patient, who is also a person, is the exception to the rule. My colleague Dr. Robert Lyman Potter (M.D., Ph.D.) highlights this point in his treatment of people as a medical ethicist. We must approach each person uniquely, including their treatment and prognosis. I have been thinking increasingly about this theme. Certainly, this point applies to my son Christopher’s critical care situation resulting from a traumatic brain injury he suffered. It should also bear on how we treat one... Read more

“Little creatures are very big to God.” This is what my wife shared with me as we observed little birds drinking water from a stone bath at a Japanese garden. My wife and the Bible teach me to see the little creatures and cherish them. For example, in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus tells his followers that his Father providentially cares for sparrows: “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight” (Luke... Read more

Federal holidays are intended to highlight key events and traits of American history and our heritage that shape and mold us as a people (Refer here). Dr. King’s birthday fits that intention, as this national holiday pays tribute to his influential role in the Civil Rights movement. The process to make King’s birthday a national holiday took fifteen years. Perhaps symbolic of the Civil Rights movement itself, it was an arduous and painstaking struggle (Refer here). The effort was noble... Read more