We interrupt our journey with Paul through Acts to bring news of another Paul who made a difference in the world: Dr. Paul Farmer, a physician who died in his sleep in Rwanda at age 62. One of June’s friends, upon hearing that she had been to Haiti on a medical mission, recommended Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder, subtitled “The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World.” World Magazine summarized his life this way:

Who was Paul Farmer? Just before he died, he was professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of the division of global health equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He wrote extensively on health, human rights, and social inequality. He co-founded Partners in Health in 1987 to bring healthcare to poor areas, starting with work in a rural Haitian village. Partners in Health has since expanded its operations worldwide. He was known for finding innovative solutions to make healthcare accessible such as creating sun-based treatment schedules for illiterate patients or hiring people to trek to remote locations to make sure people took their medication. Journalist Tracy Kidder, who wrote a biography of Farmer, said one of her strongest memories of him happened after he had been treating patients in Peru with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. A shy woman followed them to their car and held her head down while thanking Farmer. Kidder recalled that Farmer held the woman’s hands and replied “for me, it is a privilege,” in Spanish.

I don’t know if Dr. Farmer was a believer, but he certainly acted like one! His was guided by the belief that “the least of these” – impoverished people in rural Haiti and later other countries – would have the same quality of medical care as those of us in wealthy countries. He died with “boots on the ground,” serving in Rwanda.

I read Kidder’s book more than 10 years ago, and the story that sticks with me is one I told the Haitian seminary students I was working with. These pastors and future pastors argued that they didn’t have time to invest in individuals – they were too busy running their churches and perhaps working at another job. I told them that Dr. Paul Farmer, a prominent American doctor, spent nearly half his time in their country. One day a tuberculosis patient didn’t come into the clinic for treatment when he was scheduled. So Paul went to his village, walking over four hours each way to take care of him. Paul said, “There are no non-compliant patients. There are non-compliant doctors!”

I was sick and you visited me…Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25.36, 40, ESV)

P.S. I just discovered this article in the Wall Street Journal – more detail.