As one flooring team reached the middle of the building and laid down the last piece that spanned the gap and made a solid floor, my friend Matt wrote "I want to see both worlds as one" on the board.
His mewithoutyou quote shook loose some thoughts in my brain that have been rattling around ever since. Why don't I see both worlds as one? What would happen if I could?
You could, conceivably, walk from here to Peru. (Ok, you might have to swim a couple rivers and a canal). But it's so easy to mentally divide there and here. That's one place, and I act one way there, and do certain things there. And when I get back here, I go back to acting like I did before, as if the other didn't exist. (Also just realized, while I'm there, I tend to act as if I don't have the resources that I do in this one. I act like I can't help the people I see. But I do have money, at least some; I could help if I chose.)
What if I could see both worlds together in my mind, not forgetting the third world while I live in the first. (What ever happened to the second world anyway?). What if I could see the cost of my lift ticket as a months worth of food that a family doesn't get to eat? Or my iPod as someone's education? Or my laptop as a life saving surgery?
What if I could see the real cost of the things I own? Would they be worth it?
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2 comments:
I think everyone comes back from "third world" places with the same feelings of appreciation and guilt, Kenny.
I remember that when I came back from China, I was praising God for personal space and western toliets. But I also remember sitting in my dorm room that night and feeling incredibly claustrophobic by the amount of things that I had in my room; better yet, the image of the toddler who came up to me, begging and crying, in the streets of Shanghai. I learned the fine art of appreciation that day. I hope that I'm understanding this post.
I don't know if you've ever seen it, but watch Schindler's List sometime. Towards the end, he starts listing off how many lives he could save by selling off his things--his car, his home, etc.
It's funny how much this topic bugs me. I feel like it's the most challenging thing to do--listing off your things and seeing them as opportunities for those in the world who need it most.
Good entry. You have me thinking.
i dig you, and your thoughts here. i feel the same way man, but whats a girl to do, i feel like i live in 10 different worlds in any given day. Anyhow thanks for this blog, when matt wrote that, it had me thinking too, but then in my lameness i forgot. Thanks for making me re-think about what that could mean.
"I want to see both worlds as one"
that would be a sweet tattoo, btw.
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