I’m certainly open to other thoughts and opinions on this one, but lately I’ve been pretty skeptical of travel. I’ll explain more later, but I wanted to throw something out there and see how many people wanted to commment back on it.
I’ve always wanted to travel the world, backpack Europe, cruise the USA and South America, and visit lot’s of countries. Now, I’ve felt like all those desires are really just selfish. It just seems wrong when there is so much need in the world for me to be spending my leisure traveling. Even if I did it in the name of “missions” and a desire to help people, I just don’t think it would fly in my mind. I’m feeling lately that my desire to travel is something I need to forego in this lifetime.
Now, I’ve made exceptions, I’ve traveled and will travel to visit family and friends on occassion. I’m not saying you have to stay in one place forever, but short term stuff just seems tough for me to justify in my mind.
I know people will have opinions on this one, let me hear them.
So on what else should you spending your leisure?
I know you probably have a list of things. Here’s the question, if you “spent your leisure” on these things would it still be your leisure.
So the first question becomes, if there is so much need in the world, should you have any leisure. I think you should for two reasons. Firstly, I believe that God designed us to rest, secondly you will be able to meet more need over your lifetime if you give yourself enough time to rest and rejuvenate, rather than work yourself to burnout.
So the second question would then be, why spend your leisure time on travel. I think that’s more of a personal question. From what I know of you, I’m sure you are dedicated to leaving as small a ‘footprint’ on the environment as possible, so I’m going to skip that question with the assumption that whether you choose to travel or not, you would do it in the most socially reponsible way possible. So the only thing left to determine is whether the benefits of travel is worth the resources you would put into travelling.
I think, ariah, that I agree with your point in theory. I defnitely think that like anything else you can become selfish and go overboard with it. And yes, I have in the past spent money on traveling and everything that comes with it that could have been used for helping the poor or something more purposeful.
But I agree with the commenter above. God did design rest. And sometimes a brief getaway or adventure is what you need. And there is value in traveling and simply watching….I think we’re all about doing, when we should just watch and listen. Sometimes you learn much from doing that.
It’s tough. I certainly agree that God designed rest. I also agree God designed this planet and the beauty through out it. I believe he created the majestic mountains of the Himalayas and the great chasm of the Grand Canyon. I used to have plans to travel as much of God’s green earth as a possibly could. I say all that to simply get at the fact that I’m not just coming at this without much of a desire to travel.
Yes, there is a desire on my part to leave a small “footprint,” but I think I’ve probably already managed a gigantic one in my short years on this earth. I also have difficulty with spending too much on “liesure” and travel often seems outside of the price range.
I guess one major thought I have is that if Heaven is really all we believe it is going to be, isn’t it worth foregoing the pretty stuff hear on earth in an effort to sacrifice and give to those in need?
Definitely see your point. However we have to be really careful not to limit God by our own values and beliefs even if we are convinced they are rooted in biblical belief. How can you know what God wants you to do, and more particularly where? I recently ‘indulged’ in short term mission to a Chinese orphange for kids with a disability and this was something I really questioned. The run off affect of this trip however has been amazing, Ive been involved in raising large donations for the orphanage I worked in, have joined several different social action groups and have a new appreciation for how ‘reality’ is for the majority. Most of all I was able to express love to children whose own society had rejected, even if it was only for a short time. Any way as I said God doesn’t fit in our little box of left or right philosphy, we got be open hey!
Jono,
Thanks for chiming in. I think there are thousands who share a similar story like yours about a short term trip that instilled them with long term passions. I probably gained some of my passion from seeing first hand the hurt of others in the world on those same types of trips.
I think your comment about ‘God fitting into your box’ is interesting. I guess that’s my thinking exactly when it comes to this. What if planes weren’t invented, or the ability to travel on short term trips just ceased to exist. Do you think God could still have put that passion to get involved in your life? Do you think you’d still be doing those same involved things if it weren’t for that trip?
Thanks for getting back so quickly and to be honest your response has made me think a little. I suppose what I said kind of suggested that Gods will is in some way restricted by our ability or inability to access means of transport, which is not what
sorry submitted to early
I really meant. I guess I responded mostly to the way in which ‘progressive’ christian perspectives often draw these hard lines, that can be as limiting to what God really wants as hard line conservatism. Theres that much used verse in which Jesus commands us to go to all the people in all the world. It doesn’t talk about how to get there or how long to go for it just says go. Ultimately its up to the individual to decide what way God is going to use you, and when ever a statement such as ‘i will no longer travel’ is used it should be qualified as you did, ‘unless God says’
Jono,
Again, thanks for the conversation. I think your choice of Jesus’ command is a great one, God does call us to go. I think the confusing part has been our twenty first century interpretation of that.
Your right that verse doesn’t talk about ‘how or how long’ but a lot of other stuff Jesus talks about does give us an idea of the how. Examples: Jesus sends the disciples out with a pair of sandals, no money, little food, and they wander city to city for quite while. Jesus, though he had quite a following, never chooses to cruise around in chariots or impressive entourages.
Then you’ve got the whole of scripture encouraging you to be a good steward of the earth. So, yes, God does say go, and maybe it means to a far off distant land, but He might also be telling you to get there by bicycle. Keep your mind open, that’s all.