I remember the first time that history became real to me. That moment when the dial clicked and people in books became real people. I was in eighth grade on a school trip to Washington D.C. (this was a big deal, you know, being from California and consequently, the same trip that I fell in love with travelling) and it was the day that we were visiting Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington. I vividly remember standing beside the alabaster above ground tombs where George and Martha’s earthly bodies rested and it finally all made sense. History was not just stories in books that I was forced to read in school. History is a compilation stories of real people, real places and moments in real time.
This was a lot to take in at fourteen years old but ever since then I’ve had a sweet appreciation for encountering places/items of historical significance. Studying paintings in Art History classes and then seeing them in museums in LA, New York and Madrid left me in awe. I guuushed as we walked the streets of Paris along the River Siene and pass Notre Dame. Every day we were on the island of Lesvos, we pass a castle that overlooks our town of Molyvos. A castle! I can only imagine what my reaction would have been standing in front of the Acropolis if it hadn’t been closed because of the strike…
I find that moments like those have an element of romance. That idea of “if walls could talk” really gets me thinking. I wonder about the events and the people that these places have seen. What was the artist feeling as he had the brush in hand making that stroke on the canvas? What were the conversations shared on the street that lead to revolution? Yeah, sure. I can find out some of these answers in books but seeing them with my own eyes breathes life into the moments.
Stories on the news do not have this affect on me. Media spins hot topics this way and that way. It’s quite easy to distance yourself from pictures that flash across your tv screen.
During Month 2 of my World Race I experienced history in real time. I don’t have to wait to read about the Syrian refugee crisis in a book. A few days ago, I stepped outside of my hotel room and I could see a boat with refugees making it’s way to the shore. I stood face to face with people who were dripping wet because they made the choice to jump in a tiny rubber boat and face the “death grip” head on in order to escape whatever evil lay behind them. Stories on the news have changed because I now wonder if the faces that flash are faces I’ve seen before. There’s no room to distance myself.
The things that I saw and the people I met and the work we did on the island of Lesvos has changed my life. It has reshaped how I view current events. I have faces and hugs and hands that bring me right back to the front line of history.
You know those pivotal events in time that people reference and ask you the question “where were you?” Each generation has these moments.
Where were you when JFK was shot?
Where were you when the plane struck the Twin Towers?
Where were you when thousands of refugees were fleeing Syria, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and numerous other countries?
I know my answer. I stood on a mountain that overlooked the sea and the shores of Turkey where refugees hid in the treeline. I offered apples, dry clothes and hugs when needed. I prayed over crowds that were on the brink of mobbing but were held at bay. The Lord opened such an incredible door for my squad to be a part of history and I’m incredibly thankful.
So what’s your answer? You’ve already taken a step to plug into the crisis by reading my blog and possibly the blogs of my squadmates. I imagine that you’re leaps ahead of many people around you. Maybe you’re one of our financial supporters and without you, we wouldn’t be where we are. And maybe, just maybe, you feel something stirring deep inside. Maybe it’s a prompt to pray, and believe me, this situation could use plenty of prayer and that’s super important. And maybe it’s a prompt to go and do something more. Are refugees starting to show up in your state or even your city? Lesvos may feel like it’s worlds away but from the sounds of it, we’re going to get a dose of the crisis in our own back yard. This is not a time for fear but a time to take action. If I’ve learned anything about a stirring deep inside, it’s best to be obedient. God will use you to make a difference and he’ll use the work you’re doing to do a bigger change in you.
So, what’s your answer?
