THE EDITOR, Madam: Three weeks after my mother left The University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), we received a call – not to check on her health or follow-up care – but to give vague billing details. We were told that the final bill would be available after settling with the insurance, and ifContinue reading “Accountability for institutional dysfunctions”
Author Archives: donalddeanchambers
God’s Embrace
Have you ever experienced the deep feeling of missing someone? When the opportunity arises to reunite with them in person, you hold them in a timeless embrace. This applies to God. When we distance ourselves from God, His desire to reunite with us deepens as He patiently awaits our return. When we choose to returnContinue reading “God’s Embrace”
God Becomes Clay
“Our hope has a name – Jesus – God who was not disgusted by our clay, and who, instead of saving us from the clay, became clay for us” (Pope Francis, 2025). How do we perceive Christ amidst the clay – the imperfections, woundedness, incompleteness, and brokenness – of the world and our humanity? WhenContinue reading “God Becomes Clay”
Waves
Sitting under a Gazebo at the edge of a Blancheusse cliff, Trinidad and Tobago, my ear funnels the sounds of roaring, raging, and ravenous waves building, “crescendoing”, and crashing relentlessly and violently along the innocent, vulnerable shoreline. They are travelling in ripples, forming one after another, breaking and gliding towards a receptive beach. Sitting withContinue reading “Waves”
Beware And Be Aware!
Beware of persons who envision life as climbing a ladder,a ladder towards individual fame, success, status, and honour.Theymanipulateoppressrepresssuppressabusemalignconnive.They build self-serving utilitarian relationshipsusing human shoulders as rungs of ladders to reach the highest height,driven slavishly by personal ego.Like stealth planes, they go unrecognisable, invading territories of hearts and minds. Be aware of persons who perceive lifeContinue reading “Beware And Be Aware!”
Authentic Love
Authentic love, a paradox in itself, is found in vulnerability. Vulnerability is like stripping yourself naked before the Other and the other, opening our hearts, minds, souls and bodies, revealing the rawness of our Graced imperfection. The Other sees our Graced imperfection, a beauty marked by wrinkles, cracks, brokenness, and wounds. The Other sees theContinue reading “Authentic Love”
Managing the Ego through Prayer
To what can I liken the human ego? It is like an artist performing on a stage. Its only desire is the affirmation and praise from the audience. It lives to be applauded, to receive an encore, to be praised for its excellent work. When this happens, it triggers feelings of happiness and joy. Sometimes,Continue reading “Managing the Ego through Prayer”
Spiritual Exercise
Today, I experienced a euphoric moment with my swimming coach. While coaching me through some land-based swimming movements, he said, “Slow down and relax the muscles. The slower and more relaxed you are, the harder it is on the muscles, the better the mind is cleansed of the old pattern and then, when you applyContinue reading “Spiritual Exercise”
Dysfunctionalism and Transformation
Dogs cannot give birth to cats.Mango trees cannot bear orange fruits.Snow cannot fall in tropical climates.Rivers cannot flow against gravity.Humans cannot fly.Fish cannot walk.Monkeys cannot speak human languages.Birds cannot drive a car.Dysfunctional communities cannot form healthy members.Emotional unintelligent leaders cannot grow an organisation.Ignorant politicians cannot build a healthy nation.Narcissistic religious leaders cannot self-sacrifice.Waste not yourContinue reading “Dysfunctionalism and Transformation”
Relationships
We enter relationshipseither as a destination or a journey.If we enter relationships as a destination, we desireperfection, performance, and precision.We expectimmediate self-satisfaction, self-service, and sensual pleasure.We becomeself-driven, self-focused, and self-absorbed.We envision life as ahighway, high-speed, and highly competitive.We abandon the journey when there areFight, flight, freeze, or fawn.We race and compete for a prize.If weContinue reading “Relationships”
