So, it's been awhile since I last updated the blog here on N. Wintzell. I hope that this writing finds all of you well. A few things have changed around the world since I last wrote. Unrest in the Middle East, rising gas prices, and now an earthquake in Japan have a lot of folks on edge. The unrest in the Middle East is all too familiar a phenomenon to cause me too much anxiety. Gas prices hit my wallet, but I made a decision about those several years back. In the wake of Katrina, with my wife 8 months pregnant, I found myself struggling to get life back to normal. If you live here on the coast, you probably remember what I'm talking about. Thankfully, we suffered no significant damage and we got power back in a relatively short amount of time. My one outstanding memory of that time was the gas shortage. I can remember driving all over the county to try to find gas and coming up empty, or hearing a rumor that a local station was going to get gas and sitting in line for hours waiting on the truck. During one of those waits, I promised God that as long as it was readily available, I wouldn't complain about the cost. So far, so good.
When I heard the news last week about the unfolding events taking place in Japan, my heart broke. Back in the Winter of 2003, I had the opportunity to travel to Japan as part of a team from the University of Mobile and it was an experience I'll never forget. From the view of Mt. Fuji, to the drive under and across Tokyo Harbor, to our visit to the Imperial palace, I was awed by what I saw there. In our work with the churches in Tokyo and Yokohama, I was blessed by the warmth of our brothers and sisters as we shared with each other. One of my favorite memories of the trip was the opportunity to preach at a New Year's Eve service for one of the local churches. For a kid from the Bayou, the chance to encourage these believers was the opportunity of a lifetime and an honor that I'll cherish forever.
I've not returned to Japan, but it's a nation that has often been on my mind. I loved my experience there and considered returning for a short-term period of service. As I watch the news and see the devastation this beautiful country is experiencing, I weep for the people of Japan. I think about those folks who are left to pick up the pieces as the news appears to grow bleaker every day with financial peril, nuclear danger, and other problems arise. I'm grateful for people who are on the scene responding to the needs. I'm a proud patriot and while I don't love everything about my country and its policies, I'm blessed when I see our people, privately and publicly respond to the needs of other nations.
Often, I hear people parroting a few familiar phrases: "We've got enough hurting people in America, we just need to take care of our own" and "I bet nobody else would come help us if that had happened in the U.S." To the former: we do have hurting people in our country, but very few of us are facing the kind of destruction that the folks we've helped are. Remember that gas crisis that I mentioned earlier? To hear people talk you would think that $.50/ gallon was going to cause all of us to starve to death. Here's the reality: the vast majority of us will rest our head in a warm bed tonight with a full belly. We may have to cut back on vacation time or have a few pots of lima beans instead of ribeyes, but we'll be ok. Very few of us in our nation, particularly those of us under 70, have any real idea what it means to suffer total loss. Many of the folks that I hear say this are doing quite well. I hope that they're dedicating their resources to helping our local folks that are in need.
To the latter statement: Thank God! Thank God that we have the privilege to live in a nation that's chosen not to be just like all the rest. I'm reminded of the repeated conflict between the Lord and Israel in the Old Testament. What does Israel want? Whether through its idolatry, injustice, or it choice of king, Israel just wants to be like every other nation. At the same time, the Lord is constantly calling Israel out to be a people separate from the nations of the world. He wants them to be a peculiar people that He uses to show the world His glory. We're not Israel, nor do we have its place in the history of redemption, but I hope that we always seek to be a nation that is willing to share the blessings of life, love, and liberty with those who are in need. I'm praying for Japan, as I know so many of you are. What else can we do? God help us to be willing to go the extra mile to be a help to the hurting.
That's my view, anyway, from here on N. Wintzell.
