Global Citizenship

Having just returned from a fabulous cruise adventure on Holland America's Noordam to Dubrovnik, Croatia, Corfu, Katakalon, Santorini and Athens, Greece, Ephesus, Turkey and Palermo, Italy, and oh yes, 3 beautiful days in Rome, Italy to begin, I've been trying to get my head around the magnitude of such an adventure in today's times versus historical times.

The obvious difference, of course, and possibly the only thing my jet-lagged brain will allow at this point, is that it just couldn't have been done in ancient times. The breadth of the globe would have prevented the travel to even occur in a lifetime much less in the two plus weeks that we were privileged to experience. For example in returning home, we left the Port of Citavecchia outside of Rome on Tuesday a.m. and via Rome to London, London to Seattle, Seattle to Walla Walla, we were home on the same day in the late evening. Now granted there was a 10 hour time difference so the same day business was aided by time zones, but I mean really, one day to travel that distance - and people complain about their luggage being mishandled or their plane being a bit late - it's unbelievable how we travel around the globe!!

But the trip, the journey, and as I mentioned in my post yesterday, the pilgrimage of surprise and wonder leaves me speechless. I return from this adventure in awe of God's creation, the globe, the ocean, the skies, the weather, the people - the intense revelation of the wholeness of God's work and mankind's mandate to preserve the creation.

It's a wonderful thing to be home again but it was wonderful to experience other nations and peoples in their homes and businesses, being equally proud and grateful for their nations and their families, their ways of living, as we are of ours. Being a citizen of the USA is such a privilege and one that I and we probably take for granted as a nation, but being a citizen of the globe is just downright unbelievable! Travel once more reminds me of how important it is for me to remember both ranks of citizenship in my daily living - that of national and that of global, as well!

Photos Santorini Greece Seaview, Rome Italy Inside the Colisseum