Yesterday I took a day trip to one of the wonders of the world: Petra. And yes, Brandon, I got to see the facade of the treasury where Indiana Jones and his father found the Holy Grail. A day pass to Petra is 50 Jordanian Dinar, making the most expensive historical attraction in the world. The expense serves two purposes, the more important of which is keeping crowds of people away. I, like most working class people, had to weigh the expenses versus living the most boring existence imaginable; getting to the cockpit of a spaceship and deciding instead to watch the launch from the ground.
En route to the site, I got into an interesting conversation with one of my hostel travel mates. He was not from the States, and felt compelled to vehemently explain his biases and world theories regarding my homeland. Thankfully I was raised with the right to free speech, and I’m smart. I am not embarrassed to be an American.
By the end of our visit to Petra, this man and I were on good terms. This morning he apologized after breakfast. I understand, the Middle East is in a perfect storm of problems right now, and the US is the largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions. Where we have tried to bring stability, chaos has followed, and in truth no people group can be handed freedom. They have to seek it out, speak out for it, fight and risk everything for it, and in the end they will probably be killed.
What better place to have a discussion like this than an empiric city which had flourished, thrived, inspired, achieved and vanished. All that we build, short of the kingdom of God, will very soon be forgotten. Thankfully we have a God who loves us enough to let us participate and lead in the creation of His lasting work in this world.
Love you Jesus.
albaniacalling 