Un aforismo para Albert Schweitzer, el médico que trabajó por los pobres y ganó un Nobel de la Paz | TN

ALBERT SCHWEITZER (1875-1965)

Now for something completely different. A man who served to overcome needs in a remote area of the world.  Albert Schweitzer was an Alsatian-German religious philosopher, musicologist and medical missionary in Africa. He was especially known for founding the Albert Schweitzer Hospital which provided much needed care for the natives of Gabon in the town of Lambaréné.

Schweitzer was born on January 14, 1875 in Kaysersberg, Alsace which was then under German rule. Albert’s family had for generations been devoted to religion, music, and education. His father and maternal grandfather were both ministers. Both of his grandfathers were talented organists. And many of his relatives were persons of scholarly attainments.

A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS

What first came to mind when I looked at Albert Schweitzer’s rich life was that he was a “man for all seasons.” Gifted in many areas and lavishly using those gifts wherever he could.

At the age of five, young Albert began piano lessons. When he was eight, he started playing the organ. He was only nine when he first played organ in his father’s church. And from young manhood to his middle eighties, he was an internationally known concert organist. Not only did he play the organ, but he also wrote a biography of Bach in French and in German. In 1906, he published a book on organ building and playing.

Albert developed a freedom of thought about the Bible with a curiosity that started at the early age of eight. In 1893, Schweitzer enrolled at the University of Strasbourg, earning a doctorate in philosophy in 1899. In 1900 he received his licentiate in theology and began preaching. From 1901 to 1912 he was an administrator in the Theological College of St. Thomas. He became a sought-after lecturer.

Schweitzer must have been deep in thought much of the time, as philosophers tend to be, and when an idea struck him, he didn’t hesitate long to pick up a pen to start writing. As a result, he wrote a number of noted books, among them: The Quest of the Historical Jesus (a classic, and a standard source book), On the Edge of the Primeval Forest, The Decay and Restoration of Civilization, Civilization and Ethics, and Christianity and the Religions of the World.

This has been Part 33 of the series A Life Worth Living.Read Part 34 – Resolve to be a doctor