Philip Yancey tells the story of a man he knew as a kid growing up in the south who got infuriated with the United States and its acceptance of the civil rights movement. This man moved his entire family to South Africa, which at the time was still fervently apartheid-ruled and would be for another 20 years or so. To him, it was a place where people knew their place, and things could be as Yancey's friend thought they should be.
I thought about that story this morning when I came across a brief article that said that more Americans are emigrating to other countries than ever before. The article didn't really give a reason why, and didn't really say where people are going to, but stories like that always make me want to read the comments. I'm a sucker for punishment, but I do. Basically it was the same whining and moaning that has become so common in our country. People are getting away from Obama, or higher taxes, or remaining restrictions on homosexuality, whatever. Everybody had a reason for why they might want to emigrate, but with a few exceptions only a few people posting had done so.
I'm wondering how many people horrified by gay marriage are thinking about going to Russia right now, considering how homosexuality is being suppressed there.
I'm also wondering how many people who consider themselves True Patriots are thinking about leaving the United States. They love this country so much in their minds that they have to leave it. Kind of bizarre thinking, if you ask me.
There have been times in my life when I think about leaving the United States. Sometimes my reasoning is altruistic, in that I want to GO somewhere else...to do mission work in other lands, or to raise my kids with a simpler lifestyle. But usually my reasoning says more about my feelings about where this country is going...I want to get away from the right wing nutjobs as well as the left wing bloodsuckers. I get fed up with life here and think that it would be better somewhere else.
Like most of my thoughts, though, they usually don't last very long. Back in my single days when I thought for several weeks about going to teach English in China (and do covert mission work) all it took was the realization that I knew nothing of the culture or the language and that likely I'd be in a giant city and stand out like a sore thumb. I can remember sitting on the floor of a Barnes & Noble reading about the language and thinking that I had lost my mind.
As Christians, sometimes we are called to go somewhere else, or in fact are sent in order to tell about Jesus. But I believe that most of us are called to stay where we are, wherever we may be, to be salt and light and leaven in this world. It means that instead of moaning and complaining about everything, we are called to work where we are to make things better. Instead of just talking about how bad things are and wringing our hands, we are called to be a witness to the gospel, which is Good News, not a listing of all the evils in this world. And instead of threatening to take our balls and go play somewhere else if things aren't exactly as we ought to be, we are called to be good neighbors to the foolish people around us, to be a blessing in their lives instead of using them only as a warning about how not to live.
