Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Growing up in the US,
I was told over and over how
smart, generous, and free we
were. Travel has taught me that
the vast majority of humanity is
raised with a dif erent view of
America. Travelers have a price-
less opportunity to see our coun-
try through the eyes of other
people. I still have the American
Dream. But I also respect and
celebrate other dreams.
Travel where few Americans ven-
ture...and locals fi nd you exotic, too.
Gimme that Old-Time Religion...with an International Spin
h e United States may be a Christian nation, but we're certainly not
the
Christian nation. Nor do our Christian values set the worldwide standard
for Christian values. As a Lutheran, I was surprised to learn that there are
more Lutherans in Namibia than in the US. Even though they wouldn't know
what to do with the standard American“green hymnal” and don't bring Jell-O
molds to their church picnics, they are as Lutheran as I am. h
ey practice
the same faith through a dif erent cultural lens.
While European Christians have similar beliefs to ours, travel in the
developing world opens your eyes to new ways of interpreting the Bible. An
American or European Christian might dei ne Christ's “preferential option
for the poor” or the notion of “sanctity of life” dif erently from someone who
has to put their children to bed hungry every night. While a US Christian
may be more concerned about abortion than economic injustice, a Namib-
ian Christian would likely l ip-l op those priorities. As for the Biblical
Jubilee Year concept (where God—in the Book of Leviticus—calls for the
forgiveness of debts and the redistribution of land every i fty years), what
rich Christian takes it seriously?
Travel beyond the Christian world of ers us invaluable opportuni-
ties to be exposed to other, sometimes uncomfortable, perspectives. As an
American who understands that we have a solemn commitment to protect
