America, Home of the World Cup
Reflections on others’ reflections
Hi. I’m calling it. I think the USA has got to be the best country of all the countries that don’t care about soccer, to host a World Cup. OK, I understand Canada and Mexico are hosting, too, but just go with me on this.
There’s a new category of media, showing World Cup visitors’ reactions to staying in America. And I’m here for it. On the world stage, our country can be a handful. Of course it can be. Our politics and foreign policies are a mess. It’s understandable that people whose impressions about us come from TV, movies, and critical foreign news media, would expect it to be an unsettling and unsafe place. So, these reactions are a priceless reminder that America is pretty awesome.
Highlights:
Safety. I guess we take it for granted that men and women can often walk alone in cities and parks (during the day), with valuables. Maybe that’s wise and maybe not, but it happens all the time and I don’t think anything of it. That’s just the way it’s supposed to be. But some visitors are amazed by this.
Portion sizes. They call us fat, but when they go to the restaurant, they’re happy to get more of our awesome food. And free refills, too! With ice! It’s all just normal for us. But while it’s refreshment for them, it’s refreshing to me to see people surprised by our abundance. And speaking of abundant food…
Stores (grocery and other kinds). They’ll go into a Walmart and be amazed at how it just keeps on going. Then they’ll go into a gas station (Buc-ees) and look in disbelief at the options. Then they’ll go into a Costco and their brains explode. Yes, citizens of the world, we do need all those kinds of beef jerky and two square feet of cheese puffs. For that matter, global supply chains make a variety of fresh fruit way more available than it used to be, even in my lifetime. It’s awesome.
Air conditioning. Yep, it’s expected here. But did you know that more Europeans die from heat each year than Americans die from gunshot wounds? So this is a case of one-man’s luxury is another man’s life saving medical treatment.
Cars. Roads. Guns. Variety of scenic views. Sports venues for college and high school teams. It’s a big country, with a lot of different cultures. Amazingly, it just works (mostly); we just live here. And I’m often unaware of how blessed with abundance, options, and opportunities we really are.
As an American, it’s pretty cool to see the world’s reactions to our home. But what’s really special is the apparent warm welcome we’re extending to the world. But that’s really no surprise. It’s who we are. Let them come. We’ll be glad to extend to them the same blessings God has given us.
I guess it’s not typical everywhere for strangers to make eye contact, smile, and say “Hi.” Why would they be surprised that average Americans just ask how they’re doing and offer to help, show them around, offer directions, recommendations, and pointers for making their time a success? It sounds about right to me that Americans would quickly adopt their guests and enjoy new ways of fellowship and celebration. We’re not perfect, far from it. But we have it pretty good and I’m grateful.
Some might say the church could learn something from this welcoming spirit. Some might say we learned it from the church.