Prayer

And now we come to the end... It's been quite the semester. I have learned quite a lot about our society, and have formed relationships with some of its newest members. I am now about to step out of the bubble of my private Christian liberal arts school, and into the world of the rich and the poor, the homeless and the mansion-dwellers, the hungry and the over-fed, the successful, the hopeful, the well-established... and the failures, the hopeless, and the immigrants. I will graduate from a hugely expensive university with little but a tiny scrap of paper to show for it (which society tells me that I need), and the learning which that paper represents (which is of much more value. Priceless, in fact).
America, to me, means consumerism, a house in the suburbs, and a life in the rat race. It also means exploitation of the 3rd world, atrocities carried out in the name of democracy, and a military force larger than that of the rest of the world combined. Sorry for the judgment and cynicism. I realize that other countries would probably be no better if they had as much power as we... All of that to say; I think the best way to end this series of blogs is with a prayer.

May God lead us away from arrogance and hypocrisy and towards humility. May God give us the strength to give up our greed and spread the wealth to those who truly need it. May America give up the idolatry of Nationalism and instead seek the God of Truth who shows up in the faces of our brothers and sisters all over the world. May we move away from individualism and toward community, building relationships of love with those we used to ignore or despise. May we pull away from our television sets long enough to recognize and respond to the ill-effects of the non-committal sex and mindless violence with which our culture is unhealthily saturated. May we be a people who seek justice for the poor and helpless. May we learn to love laughter and peace. May we lead the way in laying down our weapons (or turning them into farm equipment). May my skepticism be proven wrong.
Amen.

Soccer Therapy

So I've decided that I need to develop my soccer skills. Most of the world is crazy about soccer, and the US seems to be one of the only countries that somehow missed the bug. Soccer builds bridges. When you are in a foreign country and have no idea what to talk to people about, soccer is a pretty safe bet. An even better bet would be to find a ball and start kicking it around. Soccer transcends language, culture, and even race.

The other day I was reading in a park on the "wrong side" of town. I don't know who labeled that side of town the "wrong side," but I rather enjoy it over there. There were about 12 Hispanic guys in their 30s and 40s who were kicking a soccer ball nearby. I decided to set my book down and watch them play for awhile. After a few minutes they finished warming up and started setting up goalposts. One of the guys kept looking in my direction. Finally he turned to one of his friends and asked "Invitamos este? Pienso que quiere jugar." His friend shrugged. A few seconds later the guy turned to me and yelled "Hey you! Wanna play?"

It was a great game. And probably the most fun I've had in a long time. I really suck at soccer, but I tried hard, and the guys were forgiving. At the end of the match, we parted ways with smiles on our hearts, and I walked off in the bright sunshine laughing to myself. Maybe I can be a part of healing the racial divide.... one soccer game at a time.

Roots of Racism

Remember your high school cafeteria? Most of the kids who didn't speak English very well sat together, away from everyone else. It was probably the easiest thing for them to do. It takes a lot of courage to interact with people in a language other than your own. Sometimes it's nice to just hang out with people who understand you for awhile.

It was also very easy for the rest of us, who were born into this culture, to let those kids be isolated. It takes a lot of effort to try to understand someone who is so different from you.

So... both groups failed to initiate interactions with the "other," and continued to perpetuate segregation. We all knew in our heads that racism is wrong. In fact, we most likely never thought of ourselves as racist. We were just taking the easy road of non-interaction.

Thinking back, I wish we had done things differently. You see, it is that innocent separation that allows the fear of the "other" to sprout. Why is it so easy to create stereotypes? Why is it so easy to blame the "other" for societal problems that we are all responsible for? If we were to make an effort to engage; if we were to learn to care, we would soon see that all our fears are unfounded. People are people, no matter what the differences. Dare we be different? Dare we step outside of ourselves and extend our hands toward the "other?"

A Loaded Question

by: Lia

What does it mean to be an American? Wow, what a question. Being an American can mean so many different things... it just depends on who you ask.

I am sure there are a lot of people around the world who might not have anything too pleasant to say about Americans. Heck, there are a lot of Americans who don't have anything good to say about Americans.

I must say... When the majority of the class voted on this topic I was disappointed. I thought, "Who cares about being an American? I'd rather learn about any other culture..."

In many ways I am ashamed to call myself an American. All that we have done to others through war (in the name of freedom, but in actuality because of our greed) just makes me sick. Other countries may have corrupt governments, but at least they are open to the fact; not hiding it and pretending things are one way when they're not.

I get that we should count our blessings; that we have democracy and all the freedoms that accompany it (but do we really?). We talk about equality like it's something that we have attained; but we haven't... not for the African Americans, the Latinos, the Asians, and women in general, regardless of race.

It's easy for someone (especially someone who is Caucasian) to be blinded to the sufferings of people they don't usually come in contact with. It is especially easy to be in your own little bubble as a college student; thinking the world is just peachy, and that in America we are free.

Well I have news for you: We have a LONG way to go people... and if you think we don't, then I want to encourage you to truly open your eyes and look around.