Vow of Poverty
8 pieces
With Wonderful Tibetan Orphans, Reflecting on How I Got Here
Tawang, India. Twenty-five years ago, I stumbled upon a ten-month old infant in Indonesia who would change the direction of my life: my son, Mathew James Tendean Luce. Wi…
Addressing Phi Theta Kappa on Social Responsibility
Hartford, CT. I was recently asked to give the keynote address of the New England Regional Convention of the international honor society Phi Theta Kappa. Founded in 1918,…
Jumping for Joy: Happiness Day 2016 at the United Nations
New York, N.Y. Over 700 people from all walks of life assembled in a large conference room in the United Nations headquarters last weekend to celebrate the International…
On the Banks of the Ganges: Reflections of a Journey in Time
Varanasi, India . I realize this is winter in northern India just like in New York, but I had thought that India would be warmer and greener. The countryside is often dra…
Essay Five Years Ago: Will a Vow of Poverty Fill the Void In My Soul?
New York, N.Y. As I approach my fiftieth birthday, I am feeling incomplete. Part of me - my soul? - is still missing. In secular terms, I think I am not yet in touch with…
Pope Wants a Church of the Poor and For the Poor
Assisi, Italy . Pope Francis made a pilgrimage this week to the hillside Italian town of Assisi, following in the footsteps of his namesake, St. Francis, the 13th-century…
My Pilgrimage Complete: Life Continues Like a Wheel
Bodh Gaya, India. Four years ago I wrote the most-read piece of my life: Will a Vow of Poverty Fill the Void in My Soul? One of the reasons I was interested in this pilgr…
Let Us Not Waste The Limited Number of Hours We Have Left
New York, NY. 9/11 brings back haunting memories. Having buried by brother and mother almost back-to-back just before 9/11, losing all three of my life-long mentors over…