On a Magic Carpet

In my wildest and most heartfelt dreams, I have always wanted to travel the Orient Express from London to Istanbul, Turkey. So, for that reason, and many others, I read President Obama's speech that he made in Turkey. The speech was awesome. It is lengthy, but well worth reading.

Reflecting on my world view, I have always been sort of protectionist, although always wanting to go and see the rest of the world. But now, April 6, 2008, I realize the old days are gone forever. No more Casablanca and viewing the outside world through a hazy, romantic black and white film. We now live in the World, we don't "visit" the world. We do not just live in the U.S. or Canada or England or Italy, the World is our community. The thought of that scares me. How could such diversity possibly, ever, ever, exist in peace and harmony? Only when the "Thousand Year Reign" is here.

In the meantime, we live each day, attempting to change as fast as we can to keep up with our radically changing communities, nations, and world.

Missions conference is coming - I worked with missions for ten years nearly. I have many friends coming here from many, many nations. I am excited. I am excited to see people I love and respect to the utmost, and excited to dialogue with them about their personal lives, about what they are doing, about their ministries. I know few missionaries who get involved with politics of their countries other than to keep an uneasy eye on them for favorable conditions to go about their work. I have friends who have made harried escapes from Albania and Haiti and other nations during political upheavals.

Twenty years ago, I lived in a small town. My world view was about the size of the space that it takes to make a community for 7,000 people. Very inward. Didn't even THINK about the rest of the world. What an adjustment now to say, "Hello World, I will embrace you." My mind drifts back to the 70's when songs boldly stated words like "We are the World." I had no idea. Our magic carpet is never going to return to the place from whence it came!