in Europe
but not of itIt occured to me today that my time in Europe will be a good opportunity to think about how a christian should interact with society. Back home, I feel as if I'm a member of Canadian society--as if I partly belong to it. I end up asking how I bring my relationship with Jesus into my relationship with other Canadians. My personal preferences--which is how other Canadians would see the outcomes of my walk w/ Jesus--have as much validity as those of other Canadians because I am of Canada. I am Canadian.
But I'm not Italian. It is not my country, I don't belong there. By watching myself, I'll hopefully be able to find out what it means to in a place, without being of it. In Canada, I belong to Christ and (sort-of) to Canada, or canadian society, anyways... Now the tension is gone (temporarily) b/c I certainly don't belong to Italy. The trick is to pray and learn throughout the experience to become fully Christ's when I do go back to Canada.