The first time I heard the term “faceless people,” I was a student in sociology class. The professor used the term to refer to persons who – for several reasons such as economic situation, race, place of origin, physical or mental conditions and age – have been silenced and ignored by the rest of society. Sometimes they are simply invisible. With time, I have discovered that the term is constantly changing and adapting to different situations and moments in history. Recently, I participated in a training for the Sphere program through ACT Alliance. Ernesto, one of the members of the Cuban Council of Churches, chatted with me about their work and attention given to people with disabilities. Ernesto, who is also a person with disabilities, spoke about the part of his work that deals with creating awareness within churches and communities of those persons with disabilities who have always been there, but are in many instances invisible to others. Reflecting on the events … [Read more...]

Disasters come in all shapes and sizes. Some come with ample warning, some come as a thief in the night. Some disasters are a result of the forces at work in nature and, tragically, some disasters are the result of dark forces at work in those that mean to do great harm. For those who have experienced a disaster, the impact can be overwhelming and one is shaken to one’s foundation. When looking for hope in the midst of chaos I am reminded of the words of the late Fred Rogers: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers — so many caring people in this world.” As a person of faith involved in disaster response ministry I would add, “And look for the communities of faith.” In my 20-plus years of disaster ministry I have … [Read more...]