Land of Opportunity

We’ve been back in Ethiopia now for a week after spending 7 weeks in the US. Our time there was refreshing, uplifting and encouraging. While we were there in the US, it was interesting to see what things seemed different or peculiar to us after having spent the last year in Africa.


I thought to myself the other day, “America truly is the land of opportunity”. We may scoff at the welfare system, immigration issues, people who seemingly are milking the system, or how our government handles these issues. There are certain situations that may illustrate the lack of opportunity for some in America. But in the end, possibly more so than any other place in the world, people get a chance at life.

I was struck by this when I visited a couple of my former students from Atlanta – who have now finished their freshmen years of college. The students I taught in Atlanta were some of the most disadvantaged in our nation, living in a neighborhood full of crime, most in a dysfunctional family, and already years behind their peers in education. Some of their situations were so destitute that they had little chance to overcome, but most had an opportunity for education and food. If they worked hard and didn’t succumb to the harsh circumstances around them, there would be possibilities to go to college and financial assistance provided. This is extremely far from what we see in Ethiopia. Most adults are unemployed with no financial assistance, many of the handicapped and mentally ill are forced to live on the streets, children slip through the cracks without an education or proper food, and the list goes on. Even if they do all they can, for too many the result is still absolute poverty.

I have a slightly different view of America now. Maybe the Statue of Liberty is speaking truth when she says, “Give me your tired, poor…” Let us all pray that America, and we as American Christians, continue to be a people that care for the poor and disadvantaged among us and around the world. May we use the vast wealth and opportunity we’ve been given to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God.