One of the things I am coming to appreciate as I read this book is Mother Teresa's wisdom. For instance, some heaped criticism upon Mother Teresa for being somewhat a-political. She never entered the fray of politics, and she refused to engage in a debate of the structures or systems in society that led to poverty.
[A] radical feminist...criticized Mother, calling her "the glamor girl of poverty." One of her criticisms was that the Missionaries did nothing to cure poverty in the world. Rather they just helped a few people.
To these types of criticisms, Mother once responded, "You take care of their tomorrows; I take care of their todays." --p. 61
Poplin reflects on these comments as an intellectual and as someone who taught radical feminist ideology in the university:
Upon my return [from Calcutta], I had an exchange with a rabbi who told me how much more he appreciated twentieth-century contemplative monk Thomas Merton's writings on poverty than Mother Teresa's approach. Being an academic, I knew what he admired in Merton's intellectual prose and poetry, but I wondered how much Merton's work really resulted in feeding the poorest of the poor. Similarly, did my research and teaching about the education of the poor ever really help the poor? --p. 61I think Poplin was introduced to wisdom versus intelligence. There is a difference between the two. I personally pray for the former.
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