Beyond Our Control

At 5’9 (1.8 meters) I stand out in Asia.  It is not uncommon for me to be one of the tallest people even on the subway.  Today as I was walking in the subway, I passed 2 people who I am at least a foot taller than.  I passed one grandma who I was easily a foot and a half taller than. 

Seeing these shorter people got me thinking about how blessed I am.  I hit the genetic and family background jackpot which allowed me to be so tall.  I could not control my genetic heritage which contributed to my height.  Equally, I could not control the socioeconomic or geographic reality of the family I was born into.  I was blessed to be raised in America by parents who were financially stable enough to provide 3 meal (with protein) a day.  The people I passed in the subway are genetically inclined to be shorter than I am, but their family background not afford them the same nutritional opportunities that I have.

The height difference between me and the grandma were entirely out of our control. She could not control being born in the Chinese countryside any more than I could control being born in suburban, middle class America.  It got me thinking that human beings are very good at judging people for things outside of their control.  Look at the news and the main immigration platforms coming out of the US Presidential election.  The rhetoric of fear is pervasive.  The vast majority of the things that people are afraid of are things that are uncontrollable (place of birth, economic resources, parent’s religion, access to education).  It breaks my heart to see so many people being judged for things outside of their control, things they could not change even if they wanted to. 

My hope is that as the human race we will stop categorizing people and criticizing them for genetic realities.  Instead of broadly condemning entire classes of people as other and evil, I hope that we will being to build relationships and see that despite all the differences of background we have more in common than we can ever imagine.  I hope that our definition of “neighbor” will expand to look more like the story of the Good Samaritan.   May we see people like us and help others like we would want to be helped.  May grace be extended to everyone, regardless of background.

上海探险 (Adventures in Shanghai)

The Bund, Shanghai's economic hub during the British colonization.  This is the Bank of China building, the first Chinese owned bank building on the Bund.

The first hotel in Shanghai to have an elevator. The "place to stay" in the early 1900s.

Across from downtown Shanghai.

The Oriental Pearl Tower at night.

Shanghai skyline at night.  The Bund is across the river.

This is a baby-holder intricately hand-stitched by the Dong minority tribe in Southern China (in the Shanghai Museum).

The 1st currency in China. It was literally a coin in the shape of a shovel.  I believe these coins are from 300AD.

One of the stunning calligraphy scrolls I saw at the Shanghai Museum.

The Shanghai museum has pottery form 900BC.  I was so captivated by the intricate pottery work, this is the only piece I took a picture of.

At the Propaganda Poster Museum--me and Mao.

The Propaganda Museum had hundreds of original Mao busts from the Cultural Revolution.

Real dazhibao or "big character report" used to denounce a person during the Cultural Revolution.  The large, black characters over the smaller characters were written by the denounced person to defend themselves.

Needlepoint poster.

Sunday morning in the park is matchmaking time. Parents congregate in the park to find a spouse for the child.

Parents looking at ads trying to find a match for their child.

Amen!

San Francisco

This week I was able to spend a few days in San Francisco with my friend Linda.  I enjoyed sightseeing and was surprised how often I hear and spoke Chinese. 

The Human Condition

22 million people, 8 million cars, and immeasurable numbers of buses, cyclists, and pedestrians.  To say that this city has a traffic problem is a gross understatement.

No one is their best self when stuck in a traffic jam after a long day at work. Knowing this fact in my head has not helped my attitude.  I have found myself easily frustrated with the sheer amount of people on the road.  I have found myself judging traffic patterns, saying things like: "This would never happen in America.....if everyone would follow the rules we would move quicker......why do people always do that?"  Without meaning to I was judging a culture and people I love so much.  I was comparing my new culture to the one I grew up with, focusing on the negatives.

One day when I was riding my bike to language school and grumbling to myself about bad drivers and how no one actually stops at the lights, He gently whispered one word to me: selfishness.  Every single human being is selfish and is only looking out for their own good, myself included.  People are born selfish.  Parents do not need to teach their children how to look out for themselves, focus on their own interests.  It's the opposite.  Parents exert a tremendous amount of energy teaching their children to set aside their own interests and consider other's.

I do not even want to know the number of times a day I only consider my own interests.  He knows that number, which is way too high, and He uses my grumbling to highlight an area that I really need to grow in.  He gave me a supernatural glimpse into traffic and then called me to be less selfish. Now, anytime I see a bad traffic situation or someone running a light, I am reminded that I need to be less selfish and that my actions effect other people.  A crowded bus is a call to live out the Fruit of the S.  I always need to be showing people more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self control.

Spring is Coming

Cherry blossoms are in full bloom.

Bright colors on a hazy day.

 Food cart in front of the bus stop where commuters grab breakfast on the way to work.

 Street cleaner hard at work.

Water delivery service.

Catching up with old friends during the morning commute.

Pictures of City Life

Typical grocery store layout

My friend and I with the owner of our favorite restaurant.

                                                                           
                                      Going green--who needs a dryer?

                                                      Fun in the park

   Traffic jam in a busy intersection

City Life