Cultural Awakening

I just read an excellent novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, and have experienced a cultural awakening. Life for us Americans is so much easier than what could be almost the rest of the world. People in other countries don't think like us, they don't live like us and don't see life as we do.

We are so concerned about the things that don't matter in this life, designer clothes, bigger paychecks, cooler cars, fancier houses, elite neighborhoods and the most up to date electronic devices. Outside our country life means being with our loved ones, staying alive another day, eating to survive not for pleasure, and a house with two rooms makes a home.

We sit and watch our television shows, play our computer games or video games, play the lottery and throw away our faith for the next best thing. What do we leave behind? Property to be taxed, debt, heartaches from unresolved relationships, and regrets.

Yeah, there are some messed up things out there in this world but we live in a broken world (Pastor Jonathon)it's going to be there. No one has made it to heaven because they were an American and I can guarantee you that no one will. I love my country, I served my country and I would serve it again, but I want to understand the rest of the world by seeing it through their eyes.