This Christian Life

Back in the U.S.A.

There’s one thing I’ve noticed coming back into the U.S. after being in Turkey. You see, Turkey is an up and coming country. It has a lot to be proud of… an incredible army, a strategic location geographically, potential to be in the European Union, good repoire with Europe and the U.S. (not to mention Russia and some countries to the east of them), good unified people, incredible heritage, and a beautiful country. They strive as a country to be contemporary, modern, and for the most part secular.

The thing that struck me the most about being there, is that the people are very kind, considerate, helpful, and not secretive or conniving. The way they treated us as tourists, but also each other—it reminded me of how the people in a good church would treat each other.

Coming back to the U.S.—from the moment we stepped off the plane—people were rude and self-serving. It became evident very quickly what country we were in. This rudeness, this selfishness, was all around, everywhere I turned. I was sick. What a shocking contrast.

At that moment I hated America. I hated it’s purposes and goals. I then understood why many countries can’t stand us. WE’RE SELFISH IDIOTS WHO HAVE NO PERCEPTION OF GRACE, NO CONCEPT OF REALITY IN THE WORLD, AND NO CARE TO CHANGE.

God forgive us. Pour humility on us. Give us what we don’t deserve. Guide us. Help us—please!