Americans All

by Rollie J.

Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Columbia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States. What do these very diverse countries have in common? I’ll give you a few minutes to guess. Come back to me when you’ve got it figured out.

The people from each of these unique countries are all Americans. Yes, that is right. It is factual. Some are South Americans, some are Central Americans, and most of you reading this are from North America. But we are all Americans. And unless you are a true Native American, you are an immigrant; meaning that somewhere along the lineage of your family tree, your family moved here on a boat or a plane. And now, maybe more than ever we’re actually all in the same boat. That immigration may have happened two hundred years ago, or last week. But you’re still an immigrant. And if we draw the line in the sand just a little bit further back, most archeological evidence points to the fact that even Native Americans, most likely immigrated here to the Americas between 12-15,000 years ago via the land bridge created over the last ice age between Russia and Alaska. No matter how or when you got here, we are basically all immigrants.

Our old friend Martin “The Walking Man,” is back on my mind as he shared his recent hour-long interview on Argentinian television talking about his epic two-and-half-year journey. His journey crossed fourteen different countries, as he walked pulling his heavy cart over 14,000 miles. The TV host barraged him with question after question, and one, in particular, caught my attention. It is a question I had asked of Martin many times during his stay with us. “Where did you find the most friendly and helpful people and were there places with bad or nasty folk who gave you trouble?”

Just as he did in my presence, Martin shook his head back and forth; “No, No, no. People are really just the same, no matter what country they were from. They might have different customs, habits, dialects, or tastes, but I found that people are just people. The great, great majority of people I met along the way were loving, helpful, curious, and friendly. They wanted to know about my journey, and they wanted to help and assist me in whatever way possible.”

These are words from a well-traveled soul. These are not judgmental words from a tourist who spent a week there one day. These are insights from a man who lived and walked, and talked, and ate, and slept alongside of the people from all walks of life over 14,000 miles. What Martin tells us carries weight, because he has lived in and amongst so many varied people. Martin tells us; “People are basically the same; they want to live a fulfilling life, they want to have a job that provides, they want to be with family and friends and live life through relationships. They want peace and purpose.” Crazy… it sounds just like you and me!

Martin is the ultimate master of the “selfie”. And not so much in the vein of the typical egotistical or narcissistic “Hey look at me! Like me! Love me please!” way, but more a way to document, honor and give thanks to the thousands of people he met and that helped him along his journey. If you jump on his Facebook website link and begin scrolling downward, you’ll soon realize that it is a bottomless pit of photos. Thousands of selfies posing with every type of American you can imagine that he met along his two- and a half--year journey. All included. All a part of what made his trip so memorable. Many of you from First Lutheran and the FM area are posted here.

[The many faces of Americans: https://www.facebook.com/martineechegaray/photos.]

You’ve probably heard or used the phrase, “Can you walk a mile in their shoes?” It is a wonderful expression that speaks to two huge character traits that move us to become more Christ-like; compassion and empathy. Instead of judging another at face value like most of our world does nowadays, we are first called to put ourselves into the shoes of another, and walk where they have walked, seen what they have seen and felt what they have felt to gain a better understanding of their thoughts, beliefs, convictions, and actions. Only then will we begin to understand, appreciate, and love our neighbor as ourselves.

Our world is getting smaller and smaller. The entire world is sharing the same frustration, fear, heartache, loss, and challenge of this historic COVID crisis. We no longer live in our own little world of isolation, separation, and exclusivity. The coronavirus has paid little attention to nationality, creed, color, religion, ethnicity, politics, status, or wealth. It has permeated all walks and aspects of life on every continent. We are all in this same boat now. We best get better at loving our neighbor whether it be next door or on the next continent.

Jesus made it about as clear and simple as possible. Over, and over again in scripture Jesus boils it down to this:

Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind.
Love your neighbor AS yourself.

Try walking a mile in someone else’s shoes. Maybe you will be less likely to criticize, bash or condemn. Maybe you will discover more compassion and empathy. Maybe someone may then be able to see Jesus in you.

-- Rollie J.

The cause of Christian unity at the present time, and indeed all through history, has been injured and hindered, because men loved their own ecclesiastical organizations, their own creeds, their own ritual, more than they loved each other. If we really loved each other and really loved Christ, no Church would exclude any man who was Christ’s disciple. Only love implanted in men’s hearts by God can tear down the barriers which they have erected between each other and between their churches.
William Barclay, The Gospel of John.

The entire law is summed up in a single command: “love your neighbor as yourself.” If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out ! or you will be destroyed by each other.
Galatians 5:13-14

Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
Teresa of Avila

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up!
1 Thes. 5:11

DO IT ANYWAY 
by Mother Theresa 

People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered. Love them anyway!
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Do good anyway!
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway!
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway!
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway!
The biggest (people) with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the
smallest (people) with the smallest minds. Think big anyway!
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs. Fight for some underdog anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway!
People really need help but may attack you if you help them. Help people anyway!
Give the world the best you have, and you'll get kicked in the teeth. 
Give the world the best you've got anyway!

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
John 13:34-35

Cross-Eyed:
a. the ability to see below the surface, to see the beauty, dignity, and God-given qualities inherent in people.
b. to see Christ in others
c. to know, acknowledge and embrace Christ within yourself.

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