You can take a missionary out of America, but you can’t take America out of a missionary. One of the lessons I learned through over twenty years in cross-cultural service and from living in six different countries is that as much as I adapt to my new home, I can never completely rid myself of my old. Whatever changes in my views of my home country, no matter how much I love the new people I serve, I will always be American. If you’re not from the United States, you can insert your motherland here to relate to this phenomenon.
I’m writing this post in view of the upcoming 248th birthday of the United States of America, and I’m reminded of how my nationality was viewed and affected my overseas service. Here are a few thoughts on the matter.
America the Good
It does not take long for any U.S. citizen living overseas to discover that many people love America. Putting politics aside, I’m talking about how America and Americans are generally viewed throughout the world. It didn’t matter where I lived, I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been asked to help someone immigrate to the States. Whether you believe it or not, America is still viewed as the land of opportunity and freedom, which is a big draw.
For many, the importance of learning the English language is all due to the predominance of the United States on the world stage. Whether for business or academics, English is the go-to language of the world, and thus, as a native English speaker, missionaries are sought out for conversation and help with the most important language in the world.
Americans as a people are also seen as generally good by others. Though often naïve, we are helpful, kind, and carry low expectations of others. This attracts people with physical and spiritual needs, and it also attracts those who are looking for a spouse who can provide either a higher income or a way out of the country.
As an outsider looking at my own country through the eyes of others, I have to admit the good in all these things. America is good.
America the Bad
It is often in living overseas for the first time that one also sees the truly bad in their home country. My first country of overseas service was in West Africa, and it is in such regions of the world where Americans get a taste of just what the “first world countries” have done to those considered “third world,” and it’s not pretty. Unfortunately, money talks, and corrupt local leaders are happy to sell to the highest bidder. This leads to a drain of natural resources and devastation of a country’s wealth and integrity.
The United States is not alone in this worldwide scheme, but we have played a huge part, and it hurts to see what it does to the people you’ve been called to serve. Depending on the current political climate, this animosity can swell to levels that make it difficult to live and serve overseas. You’re lumped in with the country they hate, and it’s hard to show them the difference.
A recent trip to the Middle East, where I spent twenty years, looked much different this time than in previous years. Not only was I traveling alone, but the war between Israel and Hamas had stirred the waters even more. Being an American was not a plus in that situation.
Back in the 1980s, I was heading back to the States from West Africa but spent several weeks in Europe. I was on a bus in Italy when a group of American military guys got on. They were loud and brash and obnoxious. I was embarrassed to know they were my fellow countrymen. A little Italian woman next to me turned to me and said something in Italian about those “bad Americans.” Not wanting her to think I was one as well, I looked at her and nodded my head, and said, “si, si.”
Over these years of experience, I have recognized the bad in my country’s history and even in current policies that take advantage of other nations without thought of what devastation is left behind. When I think about electronics and cell phones, I recognize that my country is gaining natural resources from lands where local populations are in crisis. This hurts. America is bad.
America the Exceptional
Finding a balance in extreme viewpoints of my homeland can be a challenge. After all my years overseas, I returned home, having long ago thrown my rose-colored glasses away. I was still an American, but I wasn’t always happy with what was being done in her name or in how her people acted overseas. Many times, I struggled with even wanting to be in my country. I missed whatever had been the latest country of my residence, and just wanted out. This was tough when we made the final trip back to the States. I couldn’t go back. I was in the United States to stay.
As the years have passed, I began to gain a new perspective on my homeland. I realized that as much as the United States was hated by others, they still wanted to come here. They could curse her on the one hand and ask for a visa on the other. Why? What made people want to come to my country?
No matter the good, the bad, and the ugly of this nation, the United States of America is still an exceptional country. Her founding is unique and the principles on which she was built are like no other place in the world. The Judeo-Christian framework on which the Constitution and Bill of Rights were laid has made a difference. The structure of our government is based on checks and balances, and as much as we get upset from one political cycle to the next, it is still the best. This is a land where the will of the people is important and the good of the people is actually taken into account. Do we fail to live up to the standards set by the Founding Fathers? Yes, but we still have courts of justice and peaceful transfer of power.
Above all this, we are a free people. We are able to speak and worship like no other nation; and believe me, I’ve been in many countries, and I can say this is true. God bless America, my home sweet home. I pray she will remain exceptional for centuries to come.
Grace and Peace
If you missed the last Mission Monday post, click HERE, or check out these posts on vacations and rest: Freedom Days and The Morning After.
Very well said Carol!
May God continue to bless our country.
Thank you so much, Ray. Our country needs prayers!