I believe two Christians - Henri Nouwen and Francis Schaeffer struck a healthy balance in the conflict or dilemma "between commiting to one's own intellectual/creative development and responding to the needs of others."
The former left a teaching career in Harvard to join the L'Arche community of Daybreak, which ministers to people with disabilities. The latter also resigned from his missionary work and ministered among people seeking for meaning in life at the L'Abri
community.
I doubt that their works would ever have such a profound spiritual impact to so many people had they shut themselves up in an ivory tower. Somehow, getting their hands dirty in ministering to real people actually helped them hone their intellectual/personal developments.
The former left a teaching career in Harvard to join the L'Arche community of Daybreak, which ministers to people with disabilities. The latter also resigned from his missionary work and ministered among people seeking for meaning in life at the L'Abri
community.
I doubt that their works would ever have such a profound spiritual impact to so many people had they shut themselves up in an ivory tower. Somehow, getting their hands dirty in ministering to real people actually helped them hone their intellectual/personal developments.
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