You Can't Take It With You

 

As I once again pack up my belongings for a new life, I am forced to take inventory of what is important. I question and decide what is essential to take, what is worth holding onto but not taking with me, and those things that prove simply to be unnecessary. Whittling away at the purchases I have made over the years, the memories I have collected, and the  comfortable lifestyle I have built takes its toll. I review the guidelines that the airlines have for baggage and come to the stark realization that my life will now be packed into no more than a fifty pound checked bag, a twenty-two pound carry-on, and a single personal item. 

Reducing one's existence to seventy pounds worth of goods can feel overwhelming. However, it can also be one of the most freeing experiences one can have. Choosing where to put each item helps one to recognize what can be lived without. While I will miss my big screen tv, the memory foam bed, and my closet full of recreational gear, I know that carrying with me only what is essential opens my experience to possibilities that had no space in my everyday life before.

There are some things that carry no weight, but mean the whole world to us all.

From Dallas, Texas to Los Angeles, California...

...from Los Angeles, California to Seoul, South Korea...

...from Seoul, South Korea to Phnom Penh, Cambodia...

...I will take what is essential.

"Of all things, these three remain: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love." 

-1 Corinthians 13:13

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Almost Home

     Now I am back in the city I've known my whole life. This place feels familiar to me, but a little more foreign than when I first began my journey. I have seen the place of my physical birth.

     I have encountered the birthplace of my spiritual life.

     These experiences have changed me. I see the world a little differently. Slights that used to sting so deeply can hardly be felt. Tasks that seemed insurmountable have become welcome opportunities. Burdens that felt so heavy have been turned into an over the shoulder sack full of stories to be shared.
     So, while I am here, I cherish every laughter shared with friends. I warmly embrace every hug shared with family. I welcome every new face I greet because I know inside of them is a spirit akin to my own. I enjoy every moment as a precious gift. For these moments are short lived and forever longed for once they are gone.

     The road is never far away. And it continues to call each day. I am thankful for the laughter, the smiles, the hugs, and the bonds shared with loved ones. I am thankful that my life has been filled with them and that their abundance continues. I am thankful for the opportunity to enjoy them for as long as they are with me.
   
     I am thankful that I will carry these with me into whatever chapter comes next. Whatever may come, I am stronger with love in my heart. I am almost home.

Come and See

Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” — John 1:46

     After spending the last week in Israel, I am grateful to see this verse in a whole new light. Nazareth was a nothing town and hardly on any map. It was the most unlikely place to produce anything or anyone of any repute. I know this because I have been shown the archaeological evidence that suggests the size of the town was miniscule compared to those around it. Nevertheless, it produced a teacher who gathered round him a host of followers that slowly spread to every corner of the world.
     Before his word was shared everywhere though, it was shared to small crowds of people willing to listen. When Nathanael asked what could be remarkable that came from nowhere, Philip did not try to explain the message or summarize it or sell it in any way. He simply suggested Nathanael come hear the words for himself.

     Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 
     “Come and see,” He replied. So they went and saw where He was staying, and spent that day with Him. -John 1:38-39

     I have been blessed to be able to see the ruins confirmed to be the hometown of four of the twelve disciples. It has been my privilege to visit sites that carbon date exactly to the times attributed them in the Bible and fitting the descriptions given. Stories I have heard my whole life from various scriptures meld into one continuous line when I get the chance to see and feel their proximity to one another. After witnessing many excavations still being conducted and putting my hand on the Western Wall, I know that I am touching history.

     I have been a Christian my entire life, but this does not mean that I carry with me no doubts. I continue to wrestle with the idea of supernatural wonders, just as I imagine anyone of us does. However, after seeing how much of the story has been confirmed through archaeological studies, corroborated secular histories, and fossil evidence, it is not such a stretch to imagine the rest of the story may be true as well.
     My life continues to be enriched by the faith that I have been granted. It is not and never has felt like any kind of hindrance. With all of the conflict going on around me, I have never been more at peace.

     There is a story in the Bible where Jesus healed a man who had been blind. After the miracle was performed, the people demanded that the man who had been healed explain to them what had happened.

The man replied, "I don't know if he is a sinner or not. All I know is that I used to be blind, but now I can see!" -John 9:25

     When people ask, I cannot tell them who God is to them or who He should be. I cannot explain how He works or does not work. I cannot prove His existence or absence. The truth is, I don't want to. I simply know that my life is and has always been better with His presence in it. So I will come each day and see what He has in store for me.

...without fear.

     On the last leg of an 18-hour journey from Beijing to Tel-Aviv, I have plenty of time to reflect on the past couple of weeks. I recognize what I have let go of and this brings me confidence.
     Many times in my life have I relied on others. Many times it was necessary and for the most part it has been beneficial. However, in having to find my own way, I discovered self-reliance in the face of adversity. Without a ride, I found direction.
     My life has been filled with planning throughout its entirety. I planned what I would do after school, I planned the kind of career I would have, I planned out the best way to pursue personal relationships, I planned out every chapter of my own personal story. However, when I had no plan, the true reason for my time in China gravitated to the surface. Without a plan, I found purpose.
     Searching for explanations to life's great mysteries seems to be the sole livelihood of many of us. I searched for why things happen for so long. Why has this person been lost in my life? Why have I missed out on this job opportunity? Why can't I grow in the way I desire? Why do others get to live such different lives? Why has this person come into my life? Why have I been given this opportunity? Why do I have gifts others don't? These endlessly lead to more questions. When I found myself in a place without descriptions I could understand, instinct and inference painted a clearer picture. Without explanation, I found meaning.
     Everyday the internet is our constant companion. It provides news to us, gives us information and carries an opportunity to communicate with others. I was distraught to think of going a few weeks without it. However, when I was left without the white noise that constant opportunity for connection clouding my senses, I discovered that a single conscious effort to connect is more valuable than a million opportunities to do so. Without the internet, I found connection.

     I am touching down this morning into a new land. It will be another country that I do not speak the language in. In this one, I have not even booked my lodging ahead of time.
     I am not worried.
     I know that I will find my way. I know that I can determine a course once I arrive. I know that a purpose comes first, so that a plan will form organically. I know that explanations are the tip of the iceberg when searching for meaning. I know that without the internet, connections will be found not less but more.
     I know that all of these things that I counted as lacking have filled me to the brim. I know that I am free of what I used to rely on. I know that I am free. Without fear,
     I found freedom.

Five Faces

     What do you think of when someone mentions Japan? Do technology and games come to mind? Maybe samurai warriors flow from your imagination. Perhaps beautiful flowering plantlife or endless rice fields stretch as far as the mind wanders.
     Many people would argue which of these best represents the "strange little island." Over the course of the past month, I have been able to visit five major cities that represent significant differences in sub-cultures and atmospheres. I do not believe any of these are more or less important than the others. Each represents a part of Japan, just as pertinent to its culture as any other city.
   
     Similarly, we all wear many faces through different chapters of our lives, in different settings, and sometimes simply with different people. Please do not misunderstand me. This by no means suggests we are all two-faced and liars. Rather, it suggests that there is more to each of us than what can be seen on the surface.
     As I explore the relevance of each city, I can't help but think of how their representations are paralleled in our own lives.

Tokyo
     Tokyo is a modern city. It is cosmopolitan. It has many different parts that all have specific tasks. It has a strong tradition in its castle area, a burgeoning technology in Electric Town, the tried and true businesses in Shinjuku, continued commerce in its world-renowned fish market, and awareness of self in a 47-story free observatory at its Metro Building. This is the first city that comes to mind for many who visit Japan.
     In the same way, when others think of who we are, it is the face we show them. It is the face that holds some tradition, but adapts to new situations. It is the face that relies on what has worked for us in the past, while trying to share with others what we have developed of ourselves. It is the face that stares back at us from the mirror.

Kyoto
     When I asked the hostel owner what there was to see in Kyoto she pointed out seven different sites on a map. Five of these were historical temples or shrines. Kyoto is what we see in the movies. It is the old buildings. It is the cultural hub of ancient Japan. It offers a glimpse into what has made Japan what it was in the past and has become today.
     This city represents our deeper traditions. There are deeper roots within us than many of us realize. There is a face that holds onto not only what has worked, but what has become our purpose. There is a part of us that says, "This is who I am." It does not matter if we say it out loud or to ourselves. It is always there nonetheless.

Osaka
     This city is described as being the major rival to Tokyo. It is a city that historically was founded by and for merchants, rather than samurai. It is and has always been a city of commerce. With Tokyo representing Japan as it is, Kyoto representing Japan as it was, Osaka represents Japan as it will be... or so everybody in Osaka will tell you anyway.
     Just as Osaka believes it is the city of the future for Japan, we all dream of a person we would like to one day be. It is this face that we try to share with others intentionally. We do our best each day to live as the individual we hope to become. While holding onto the purposes that have brought us this far, we all continually look for ways to adapt and evolve. Ever becoming a greater version of ourselves in the process.

Hiroshima
     No visit to Japan would be complete without visiting Hiroshima. It is described as the trip that every person on the planet should take at least once in their life. It is heavy. It is hard to visit the Peace Memorial Park and see all the monuments for countless types of people's who were killed. It is heartbreaking walking through the museum and the victims' information center to hear first-hand stories of how this terrible event effected individual innocent lives. But it is overwhelmingly inspiring to appreciate that the park is open 24/7/365. The museum is free to the public everyday of the year. Hiroshima has led the fight against war around the world. The city did not rally to blame anyone. They did not cry out for retribution. In their suffering they found their own voice and stand unified in sharing it with the whole world: "No more Hiroshimas."
     While these monuments, efforts, and information can demonstrate the need for peace, we can never know the extent of the suffering each individual felt dealing with the repercussions of the first nuclear bombing. However, we can find in ourselves suffering and turmoil that often feels like nobody could understand. In our suffering, we mourn. In our suffering, we unite with others who share experiences similar to ours. And, most importantly, if we can find the strength that this community found, in our suffering we find hope to fight for it to never happen again.

Itoshima
     Itoshima is a seaside city that most people have never heard of. It is a beautiful agricultural community that is surrounded by sprawling green hills and long sand beaches. While it is mostly unknown, it produces much of Japan's vegetables and houses the world-renowned Ichiran Ramen factory. Life is slow here.
     Our place of peace within ourselves often goes unnoticed by others. There is a part of us that is simply who it is. There is a part of us that accepts things simply as they are. This is our face of peace. And though most people we interact with will never know where it comes from, this place of peace is where our productivity comes from. This is the face that provides for most of the others.