~Finding God::5~

Finding God in people....

I have increasingly noticed here in New Zealand how amazing people are as a whole. So many friends from home told me how wonderful the people are, how friendly and willing to help they all are and I have constantly been noticing such things. It has been, with most of the people I have met, that they would be willing to give me the shirt off their back, give me a place to stay, a meal, anything, even if it was their last. It's as though sharing is engrained in their culture.

Last night at an A Cappella concert I attended, at the end when we were expecting an encore, rather than another performance by the group from the US (who was amazing by the way), the emcee asked for us all to stand and all of the Kiwi's sang a traditional parting Maori song. It was beautiful. I listened and watched the tears pour down some of the singers faces. It amazed me. There is something about that kind of atmosphere that captures you and reminds you that there is still good in this world, even if it is only a small part.

As much as I have contemplated building genuine relationships and have pondered how to gain them while here, I have noticed that the kiwi's give off a huge amount of genuine care. I have a friend from the north of the north island and she always asks me if I'm okay-- whether its because I let out a big sigh, or have a worried look on my face...-- and it is just because it's their nature. I talked to some random kid I met at lunch one day on facebook and we were just talking about something and he just kept asking questions which provoked answers which may have contained some complaints. But he was willing to listen.

Now it isn't like I'm going to lay all my problems out on the New Zealand people, but it is touching to see such care and concern shown all the time. It's just so neat. I thought I was going to feel like an outsider but instead have been embraced.

With knowing the field I'm going into and the religious background of this country, I expected a lot of cold shoulders. But I've found that even though the majority of this country is non-religious, they're not not Christian because they've been turned away from it-as it seems in the US. Instead, they are curious and intrigued. It's amazing.

Christianity asks us to be Jesus to the world, in a few more words than that. It requires us to do the work of God on earth, to be the hands and feet of God, to show the care and compassion Jesus showed during his ministry, and to be giving of unconditional love. The NZers love like Jesus without knowing it. I read in a daily devotional, a comment by Joan Chittister which partly said, "The movement to pray is the movement of God within our souls." So I'm taking this out of context, but this makes me curious... I feel as though God must be working through these people whether they know it or not and whether they believe in God or not. The movement to be caring, compassionate, loving, sharing.... is the movement of God within their souls.