Dr. Paul Farmer died a few days ago. If that name doesn’t mean anything to you, you’re missing out. Tracy Kidder’s book (Mountains Beyond Mountains) will fill you in about him and his work, though you should know before you read it that it will make you feel lazy and inconsequential. The guy had a life of nonstop doing good. I mean, nonstop. He went to some of the poorest places on Earth and established medical facilities and treatments that have done stunning things and will continue to save countless lives. Dr. Farmer was one of those people who showed authentic, compassionate care for people we so often consider “lesser.” One of his best-known quotes is: “The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that is wrong with the world.” ...So true. Consider racism, the threat of war, responses to the pandemic, greed, hunger/dehydration, the lack of health care for those who need it most… In a single sentence, he offered such a powerful commentary on the state of our world.
Dr. Farmer’s call for excellent healthcare available to everyone is typically politicized in the US. Yet he stood his ground, saying someone who is poor is no less worthy than someone who is rich of receiving the highest standard of care. Of course, that is clearly not the case in the US and in many other parts of the world. The wealthy get the best their money can buy; the poor get little or nothing. Is that fair? Just? Only in a world where some lives matter less (and the love of money rules).
We rarely see people these days whose desire to do good for others surpasses their desire for personal gain. Instead, the more common mindset is, “Just think of all the donating I can do when I’m wealthy!” Personally, I’m always happy to hear of the wealthy donating from their vast resources, yet giving because we can do so easily and without discomfort is different from committing ourselves (rich or poor) to a life of doing good. Farmer was the very definition of the latter. His tireless efforts to bring first-rate care to some of the world’s poorest people is a model and an inspiration to all of us.
No, we aren’t all Paul Farmers. But we can each do more, right where we are, to provide love and care for those around us. ...And honestly, that mindset (one of authentic care for others) makes a pretty good prescription for living a fulfilling life.
A couple of books by Paul Farmer, if you're interested in learning more...
To Repair the World: Paul Farmer Speaks to the Next Generation
Fevers, Feuds, and Diamonds: Ebola and the Ravages of History