7 years

Jeremiah Small was a single American guy who taught gym classes at a school in Iraq. He was shot to death by one of his students earlier this month. After I read about his death I went on Facebook to see if I could find out a bit more about him. Sure enough, his page is still there as if nothing had happened. Pictures of him having fun with his students, some very profound thoughts, a link to a silly comment about squirrels... I think this guy and I could have been great friends.

What shook me up the most is the fact that he started his cross-cultural adventure at the same age that I did. When he started, he had no way of knowing that he would only get 7 years. 7 short years. As I looked at his pictures and read comments from his students I could tell that he made the most of his 7 years.  He loved the country, he loved his students, and he loved his life there. He touched hundreds of lives.

When I think back on my first year I see a lot of progress but also a lot of stumblings and hesitations and false starts. I am still protecting myself, not reaching out enough, and as a result not making  a difference on a personal level as often I think I should.

So, here is a resolution to be more open to others, especially the ones who come from a different culture than me, knowing full well that I could be setting myself up for some awkward situations. Why? Because it's worth it. That's how we make a difference. That's how Jesus did it.

"...we are called not to narrative construction [...] we are called to become part of a narrative greater than ourselves in the context of a relationship that gives meaning to our lives. It is a beautiful thing to find oneself spoken into meaning."

-one of the last things Jeremiah Small wrote on Facebook