Difference
We took a few days off and traveled out of town on vacation last week to New Orleans. Even though my wife has been there numerous times, I can’t remember the last time I have been and the kids have never been there… so we decided to go explore!
We had a great time in the French Market, the French Quarter, Canal street, Bourbon street, the Garden District, City Park – we walked, road the public transportation trains and just did a whole lot the few days we were there.
It was great to get outside of our comfort zone and hometown, especially for our kids to go somewhere they have never been before and experience a new culture and a different style of people (lots of Cajun/Creole folks obviously work and live in the areas we were in).
In addition to seeing folks from a different culture and that spoke differently than we did, we also saw people openly smoking weed in the park, revelry live and in person (lots of open container beer drinking on the streets!), homelessness up close, and we even got to witness two people in the street almost get into a fist fight!
Lots of different cultural opportunities to say the least.
It was a great reminder as a Real Christian Businessman that we can get very comfortable in our town and our day-to-day workplace seeing the same people, interacting with the same folks every time we go to the store, work, gym or school.
But when we leave our safe havens (our own little echo chambers) it teaches us empathy and humility for our fellow man. It helps us to appreciate the luxuries and opportunities we have in our own circle of life and reminds us to be thankful for what we have and to be willing to help and share what we have openly with others.
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35) ESV
My family was reminded this week that even though others may be different than us we still need to show love to them just as Jesus would have us to do.
In our workplace and in our hometown… and even on vacation.