A Dispositon To Be Pleased

There is a story I always think of when I first cross the Jordan River into Israel.  It is a moment in the life of Thomas who, unfortunately, has been branded by history with the preface—“DOUBTING.”  For some reason we remember Thomas at one of his weakest moments.  Yet there is another story of Thomas found in the New Testament which took place east of the Jordan River.  Jesus had just received word that Lazarus was sick and Mary and Martha urged him to come to Bethany.  This was dangerous for Jesus as an attempt had recently been made on his life.  The apostles warn him about taking the journey but when they see he is determined to go to Bethany it is Thomas who speaks.  “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”  Why do we not call this courageous apostle, “Devoted Thomas?”

I think it is best to remember people at their best moments not their worst.  I have found this to be true of nations also.  When we travel it is always best to see other peoples and cultures in the kindliest light we can bring. If we look for goodness we will surely find it everywhere.  I have noticed that the people of other countries warm wonderfully to visitors who appreciate the unique contributions and beauty of their homeland.   Mark Twain once said: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness.”  He wrote two remarkable books covering his wide travels to many nations of the world and although he sees reasons for mirth everywhere there is no mistaking his admiration for the lands and people he encountered.   Travel helps us drop the sometimes exclusive nature of a too deeply rooted sense of our own national identity and broadens it to an inclusive love of the world. 

When in the Netherlands, I never fail to remind myself of the words written by one of their greatest native sons, Erasmus of Rotterdam once said: “I wish to be a citizen of the world, not of a single city….The whole universe is my fatherland.”  One of the most delightful places in the British Isles to visit is the Lake District.  This is the home of Beatrice Potter and William Wordsworth.  He lies buried in a simple grave in the tiny village of Grasmere by Lake Windermere.  The mountains, green rolling meadows crisscrossed with stone fences and the serene still waters of the lakes bring a peace unmatched anywhere in the world.  Wordsworth wrote one of the first travel books inviting people to his beloved lakes giving wonderful counsel to all travelers who sometimes have too much of a tendency to compare unfavorably everything they see to “what’s back home.”   This, he wrote, “inevitably leads to disappointed expectations….The best guide to which, in matters of taste we can entrust ourselves, is a disposition to be pleased.”

When we visit another country or state, I have found a disposition to be pleased to be vital.  When we travel with such an attitude we find delight in everything and everyone and, believe me, people of other countries notice the difference, just as we would warm to someone visiting America who understood its gifts and sacrifices for the broader world and expressed appreciation.  All lands have something to give, to enrich and edify.  It is best to deeply try to love the various places we visit and connect with even the most distant cultures.  That is why we leave home is it not?  I think of this when I stand on Mars Hill in Athens where Paul gave his so memorable address in the shadow of the Acropolis.  “God hath made the world,” he said, “and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth.”  To feel that brotherhood can be our meat and drink.

The greatest compliment I have ever received was given to me by a Chinese guide who had accompanied us throughout China for a period of over two weeks.  Since I first visited China I have become overwhelmed in admiration for the beauty and depth of their culture.  Our entire living room is now decorated in Chinese style.  The Chinese have developed an approach to life that is both compelling and inviting and in a future article I will write of this distinctly wonderful country.  At the conclusion of our tour, I turned to Bing, our guide, and told him how much I loved his nation and people and how deeply I appreciated sharing with him.  He was silent for a moment then reached out his hand and patted my heart and said, “Chinese.  Chinese.” 

It is always my goal to find within my own heart, the heart and soul of the people I visit and to help those who share these times with us to feel, and feel intensely, the wonderful majesty of the world in which we live in all its variety and cultural diversity.  When you travel, whether it is with a group or on your own, look for the “Devoted Thomas” loveliness of each place, become a citizen of the world with the universe as your fatherland, understand all nations of the earth are of one blood, and be Irish, or French, or Peruvian, or Egyptian, or Chinese in your heart.  Then, wherever you go, near or far, you will surely be pleased returning home enlightened and enriched.