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I'm sitting in the International Terminal of the Istanbul Airport.
My flight from Chicago arrived without incident and I've spent the last hour or so walking the length of the terminal, trying to get the blood flowing into those parts of my body that grew numb during my 11-hour flight.
As I've walked, I've engaged in my favorite indoor sport – people watching. I feel like I'm in the middle of a cultural crossroads.
It started with my eyes. The dark skin of Africa, the olive skin of the Middle East, and the pale skin of the European can all be seen here.
Businessmen with silk ties and leather briefcases pass silently by young men in tattered jeans who appear to carry all they need for their trip across the region in their backpacks.
Young women, fashionably dressed in the latest style jeans and boots, glance curiously at the women dressed so modestly with their heads carefully scarved.
Then, as I walk, my ears begin to pick up the sounds of different languages. German gives way to Arabic which morphs into Chinese which drifts into Hindi. All the while the loudspeakers announce flights in Turkish and English.
Now my nose joins in. At one end of the terminal the aroma of flame-broiled hamburgers tells me that Burger King is here. Then, at the other end of the terminal, the familiar aroma of Starbucks greets me.
(Honest self-disclosure: I'm writing this while sipping on a Starbucks coffee. You'd expect nothing less of me, I'm sure!)
Between these two American staples are stand selling Turkish Delight, Turkish pastries and Turkish sandwiches. The pistachio-filled pastries go great with Starbucks!!
In the midst of this cultural mix, my mind drifts back to last Sunday's message.
Jesus tells us to “GO!”
Go where? Across the street and to the ends of the earth.
Go why? To be his witnesses (Acts 1:8) and to make disciples (Matthew 28:19).
I suppose that many of the people I've been observing here, probably MOST of them, are lost in their sin and without Christ in their lives. Going never seemed more important than right now.
Blessings.
Pastor Bob
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