View from 37,000 feet

Right now I’m 37,000 feet over Sudan, cruising at a speed of 594 mph.  It’s -56 outside; at least that’s what the screen in front of me says.  That’s pretty cold.  Isn’t Mt. Everest over 30K ft?  If so, it’s pretty cold up there too!  I’ve been in the air for going on 14 hours now and I’ve slept, read, watched movies and even studied enough.  All I have left to do is write.  So here we go.  For the past few hours or so all I’ve been able to see out of my window seat in row 42 of this 747 is desert.  Sand as far as you can see.  It’s pretty unbelievable to actually see how big the Sahara desert is.  It literally takes up 1/3 of the African continent.  Of course we’ve all seen it on maps, but I’ve been flying over it for hours now and there’s no end in sight.  It kind of makes me wonder why it even exists.  All other ecosystems have an obvious role in the environment, but the desert is dry, arid and lifeless.  I’m not sure what purpose it serves.  I’m sure it has one and I’m probably offending desert-lovers, but I can’t figure it out.  Maybe I’ll put that on my list of questions to ask God one day.

As I sit here in awe looking at this expansive desert below, I’m struck by just how big God really is.  Not to mention the fact that I’m one of a few Americans on this plane.  Stepping on board it was obvious that many cultures were colliding on this flight.  From the dress, smell, look and language of the various passengers it was clear how multi-cultural this flight was.  From where I’m sitting right now I can see Africans, Middle Easterners, Yankees, Southerners, Eastern Europeans, Germans, Dutch, French, British and many more.  This too reinforces the fact of just how small I am and just how big God is.  It’s a good reminder and one I’m sure I’ll have many times on this trip.  It’s easy to get culture-centric in our little bubble called America, or even worse, in Alabama!  But we need to be mindful of other peoples and the diversity that exists in the world.  God created each of these people in His image and sent His son to die for their sins.  Moreover, He wants a relationship with them, regardless of what language they speak or how they dress or smell.  This trip is going to serve as a glaring testimony to that, and I’m looking forward to having some of my cultural barriers broken down as I experience it first-hand.