The kitchen tap was leaking again. With a sigh, I called a plumber. A few minutes later, a middle-aged man walked in — calm, steady, carrying a faded toolkit. I watched him…
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When no one is looking
On 8th April, 2025, when Japan’s electronic toll collection system unexpectedly failed for 38 hours, the toll gates were opened to allow free passage of vehicles. In most countries, that might have…
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Bishnoi community: India’s original environmentalists
In the year 1730, Maharaja Abhay Singh of Jodhpur (in modern-day Rajasthan, India) ordered the felling of khejri trees (Persian mesquite) in the village of Khejarli to provide wood for a new…
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The parable of Brother Leo
An old legend tells of a monastery in France well-known throughout Europe because of the extraordinary leadership of a man known only as Brother Leo. Several monks began a pilgrimage to visit…
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Is there room in the inn
Wally was big for his age – seven years old. Everyone wondered what role the teacher would give him in the annual Christmas play. Especially considering the fact that he was also…
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One small step at a time
Since breaking his hip, Tom Moore has had to use a walking frame with wheels to move around. And during his time in the hospital, Tom remembers being well cared for by…
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Chishti and music
I have heard a story. It happened in Ajmer… You must have heard about one Sufi mystic, Moinuddin Chishti, whose dargah, whose tomb, is in Ajmer. Chishti was a great mystic, one…
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Anne Frank’s Diary
Reading Anne Frank’s diary for the first time can be a ground-breaking moment in any reader’s life. Since it was first published, the book has inspired generations of people around the world –…
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Prayer from the heart
Late one evening a poor farmer on his way back from the market found himself without his prayer book. The wheel of his cart had come off right in the middle of…
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The black man and kindness
We are at the restaurant of a German University. A red-haired student, and undeniably German, takes her tray and sits down at her table. She then realises she has forgotten her cutlery…