Reflection: 'Travel as a Political Act' 1

"The Lord is near" (Phil 4:5). These are the words that more or less got me going during my summer abroad in London. Every Sunday night my classmates and I would assemble for a Communion service. Every Sunday before taking Communion, we would use the Spiritual exercise of lectio divina to read through the book of Philippians. I can still distinctly remember the above words striking me during the second week of our Communal get-togethers. Now, I was not scared or worried or even homesick; I was in an unfamiliar land and simply found it hard to translate my life into that new culture. However, that changed with the four words cited above: the Lord is near. These words gave me peace and an adventurous spirit (Spirit?) throughout the remainder of the trip that allowed me to savor the people, places, and food that I encountered along the way.

I tell that story because I think it goes hand-in-hand what Rick Steves is trying to say in his new book, Travel as a Political Act (New York: Nation Books, 2009). I was hoping to get one good post out of this book, but I can see that it will spark several more as I read through it.

Steves asserts that through travel we are ambassadors -- and I think he would say that we are ambassadors not only for our nation, but also for our God. The Lord is near, thus we need to remember that everyone we encounter is a beloved child of God. He tells the story in the book's Introduction about coming to understand his parents love for him on a childhood trip and witnessing other children's parents' love for them as well. He called this his "most powerful travel experience:" learning that "[t]his planet is home to billions of equally lovable children of God" (v).

However, it is often easy to miss such powerful travel revelations. All too often, travel makes us aware of our differences. I speak English; the German man on the train speaks German. I wear pants; the English person in H&M wears trousers. My refrigerator is as tall as me; my Welsh friends' refrigerator is only about thirty-six inches tall. But I think, if we look closely, travel is always ready to remind us that we are all united by God's love for us.

So whether I go to Sainsbury's in London or to Whole Foods in Nashville, I can remember that we are all beloved children of God. And because we are all united by God's love, it only seems appropriate to show patience, goodwill, and love to others.

Seems I've already gotten my money's worth from Rick's new book...