Unity in Diversity: A Shared Journey

BEING SALT AND LIGHT

Andrea and I just returned from a 11 day vacation on a cruise ship. While we were on the ship I came to grips with what a privileged person I am to be able to make such a journey.  One of the most interesting things about a cruise ship is the staff who work there. I do not mean the captain, or navigators or department heads. I mean the room stewards, the waiters, and the people who serve food.  I dare to say, all of them are not from Dingmans Ferry, or even other parts of the United States. They work hard, away from home and family and do it with a smile. 

Almost every day on the ship I spent some time writing either on a pad or on a keyboard connected to my ipad. On the last day of our trip, I was alone, sitting next to a window, scribbling some notes.  A young girl, on the waiting staff, walked up to me with a smile and asked if she could get anything for me. Her name tag indicated she was from Indonesia.  I smiled back and said, "No thank you, I have some coffee, and I am good."  She left me to myself for a while and then returned and asked again if I wanted anything like orange juice. I replied again "No thank you but thank you very much."  She turned and started to walk away but then turned around and asked another question. "Can I ask you something?" I said, "Sure." She asked, "What are you writing, I see you here and there writing, what are you writing about." This is a pretty interesting question she asks.  I began to wonder how long she wanted to ask the question and what was behind the question.  I have to confess, I do not see a lot of people sitting around writing on a cruise ship so maybe I am just a curiosity. 

 I found myself in a dilemma, do I tell the truth or just make something up.  I go with the truth. I tell her I am a pastor and I am writing down my thoughts and experiences on the cruise.  I tell her I find it hopeful to see people from different backgrounds, countries, religions, races, genders and ages, getting along on the ship while it seems much of the world is clashing over all sorts of issues.  I looked right at her and said, if I had been born where you were born, I would have been a completely different person.  I then held my hands apart and began to interwin by fingers and until I had my hands folded.   

I said, "I write in hopes that someday, like my separate fingers, all the separate peoples of the world can come together and see we are much more the same than we are different. No one of us can save anyone but perhaps we save one another.  We chatted a few more minutes about the need for mutual respect and love and then she walked away to continue her work.  She walked into a crowd of people carrying food, laughing, sitting down, and standing up.  There were young and old, Jews and Muslims; Christians, agnostics and atheists.  There were babies in carriages and adults on electric scooters.  There were Asians, whites, black and brown; people from India and Indiana.  There were some Germans and New Jersians. There was even a foursome from Dingmans Ferry.  We were all in the same boat.......(I need a cymbal crash from Wes here.)

Where do I get this idea? What is the basis for this hope?  1 John 4:7 "Beloved, let us love one another, for love comes from God." 

Along the way,

PN