The Dawning of Differences
When you step off the plane you may be struck immediately by a change in temperature. You left home’s winter chill and arrived to the humidity of summer in the southern hemisphere. The difference in the terrain may overwhelm you. A life on the prairie didn’t prepare you for the beauty of a lush rainforest. You may be impressed by how hospitably you are received by these strangers. You can’t imagine the women’s group from your church embracing visitors when they first meet them. Hot dish, yes; hugs, maybe not.

Eventually, though, differences you notice may begin to disturb you. You eat more in one meal that your hosts have available in a day. Yet, they share freely with you from what little they have. You take for granted well-child exams for your children. They take for granted that some of their children will die from infections or parasites which could be prevented if adequate health care were accessible. You are told that their country’s economic situation is aggravated by high interest rates on loans from your country. You tour a museum and learn that this country was one of the richest, most advanced civilizations in the world a few hundred years ago.

You realize that the real difference between the situation of your hosts and your own life has more to do with where you happened to be born than with any innately superior skills you possess. Your relative comfort and security and opportunity have little to do with your deserving them, and very much to do with chance. Yet, you may find yourself increasingly self-conscious of your clothes, your comments, your wealth.

Go With Grace, Not Guilt
Even if these differences are new to you, your hosts are probably keenly aware of them. Your reputation precedes you; at least the reputation of the wealth and privilege of the place you call home precedes you. You belong to a culture which contributes to the problems your hosts face in life. But you are not personally responsible for the socio-political-economic realities that shape their lives. Your time among these people will be more productive if you come clothed in grace, rather than burdened by guilt.

To begin, you acknowledge the effect of your country on the life of those you are visiting. As an individual, you are not responsible for any chasm which exists between your culture and your hosts’. But you are responsible for how you bridge that chasm during your visit. You can reflect the worst of our society’s ignorance, arrogance, and paternalism. If you do, those you visit will see the image of the “Ugly American.”

Or, you can listen to the people, walk alongside them awhile, show a genuine interest in their life and culture, and become an advocate for them. To travel clothed in the grace of God gives you a cloak of compassion to offer to those you encounter. As God calls us by name, you learn the names of those you visit. As Jesus set aside his itinerary to heal someone who approached him, you can be less concerned with your schedule and more concerned with hearing all that your hosts need to tell you. As the prophets were instructed by God what to say to the wayward people, you can learn from those you meet the words that need to be spoken to your neighbors at home. In doing these things, people may see in you the image of God, in spite of the wealth and power your home represents.

Your Best Face
The best face you have to show is the one that allows the love of God to come through clearly. Your eyes will see the beauty as well as the struggles of the land and its people. Your ears will hear the pleas as well as the songs. Your nose will take in the fragrances as well as sniff out the troubles. Your mouth will pray with the people and take a new story to tell when you return home.