Author: Jim Cantelon

One of the defining scriptures in my life is Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable into God, which is your reasonable service. And be not confirmed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” Soren Kierkegaard (May 5, 1813-Nov 11, 1855), the famous Danish philosopher/theologian, once said that “mere mental assent to a doctrine is not enough. Where there is no transformation there is no...

My wife Kathy and I founded WOW 26 years ago. Our calling and vision was to mobilize African churches to transform their communities stricken by the decimating scourge of HIV and AIDS, leaving thousands of orphans and widows in its wake. We started with very little but over the past quarter century WOW has grown into a force in Jesus’ name. In that time our African champions with their local church-based volunteers have ministered to thousands of dying and at risk patients. And at least once, sometimes twice, a year we have visited our ministry partners to encourage and inspire them in...

When Kathy and I travel dusty rutted roads to remote rural villages in Africa, we’re often reminded that what to us is third world is not necessarily so for the inhabitants, especially those being cared for by our WOW partners. The pic above is a good example. Here’s a single mom, obviously proud of and enjoying her young son. Both are healthy. Both are happy. And, both are benefiting from WOW’s comprehensive Home Based Care (HBC) ministry, in this case “Somebody Cares Malawi”. We have been in partnership with SCM for 24 years and have seen thousands of dying orphans and widows lovingly...

Recently in Malawi Africa, Kathy and I spent a few days with our team of volunteers visiting and praying for dying villagers. The dusty ox cart trails between the villages and the oppressive heat exacerbated our awareness of the adversities these precious people face every day. Over the past 25 years we’ve prayed for countless patients under the care of local church based volunteers, true angels of mercy. In the picture you see us praying for a noble looking 65yr old man who is HIV positive and has leprosy. As I prayed, I recalled how Jesus healed many lepers and, against cultural...

Many times over the years Kathy and I have visited remote African villages where our local church volunteers are compassionately providing home-based care (HBC) for afflicted and/or dying orphans and widows. In the dust, heat, and adversities of disease and soul stressing poverty, these indomitable volunteers provide the loving extension of Jesus’ hands to “the least of these”, as he put it. They are truly agents of healing and hope. Many of them are widows themselves living on the edge. Some are living with HIV, their viral load managed by medication, and all are poor. But WOW, through our...

One of WOW’s ministry countries is Malawi in Southern Africa. It is the 4th poorest nation in that massive continent. Like most other African nations, over 50% of the population is under 30 yrs of age. Under educated and under employed, this huge number of young adults are an explosion waiting to happen, especially now in that a general election is about to take place. During the last election, hundreds of young adults demonstrated against what they saw as a rigged process with stone throwing, burning tires on the roadways, and threatening unwary drivers with violence. We were caught in one...

Without doubt Jesus captured the essence of the prophetic message of the Old Testament when he responded to a young lawyer’s inquiry: what does God expect of us? Jesus said, “Hear O Israel, the Lord your God is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:28-31). First of all, Jesus declares there is one God. This was/is light to the idolatrous nations surrounding Israel whose gods were...

I visited recently with a friend who’s recovering from open heart surgery. He received 5(!) bypasses. This procedure was called “beating heart surgery” which means the surgeons operated while the heart continued to beat. Truly amazing. As we talked, our conversation turned to mutual friends who are going through health crises: battles with Parkinson’s, dementia, kidney failure, diabetes, arthritis, hearing loss etc, etc. We agreed that we’re all vulnerable regardless of age and that we are, indeed, “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). But we also remarked on human resilience and...

I was talking with an old friend who is/was also a pastor. Both of us have been in the ministry for over 50 years. We were discussing the common themes we have dealt with in the lives of our congregants. We referred to issues like domestic conflicts, loss of employment, illness, encroaching death from disease, concern about sons and daughters, spiritual needs, etc, etc. But underlying all these we agreed that for everyone, including ourselves, life brings burdens. Indeed, as the saying goes,” life happens”. Sometimes life breaks us. I could give so many examples of the brokenness I’ve...

In the gospel of Mark there is an interesting anecdote about children. Let me quote my comments on this passage from my book, Cantelon’s Casual Commentary: Jesus had a high view of [children], as he did of women…Mark tells us about Jesus and the little children. He mentions that Jesus and the disciples were “in the house”. He doesn’t tell us whose it was or where it was. Regardless, a crowd gathered and began to press in with their children hoping Jesus “would place his hands on them” in order to bless them. The guard-dog disciples tried to push them back, but Jesus, “indignant” at his...

As I write there is an ongoing search for missing children and adults in the aftermath of the horrific floods in Texas. We’re all shocked and saddened by the loss of life, especially the little girls who were swept away from their idyllic summer camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River. It’s hard to comprehend how a river can rise 26 feet in only 45 minutes, from a meander to a torrent. It’s a grim reminder of the irresistible forces of nature that can suddenly overtake us. At times like this there is the predictable call for “thoughts and prayers”. And rightly so. It’s an indication of the...

As I write our world is fraught. None of us has lived on the cusp of international disaster before. This is new and it is scary. I turn to scripture for guidance and comfort and the following stands out: “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust… Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge...