Melting Pot

Cairo has truly become a melting pot of nations around the world.
I had Chinese food for lunch yesterday, met in 'Second Cup' for meeting and played soccer in the streets with Egyptians.

The area that I have come to call home during my Egypt journeys is a haven for Expats,
Embassies, diplomatic residencies and foreign companies line the streets of Maadi,
Our church is host to 50 different nations, spanning across the globe.

It's safe to say it's easy to retreat to the comfortable, to disengage from the reality that is Egypt.

Yet step back for a second, open your eyes, and quiet yourself,
Allow yourself to take in the sights and sounds of Cairo,

The vision of the streets crawling with people, struggling to make ends meet; %51 percent of the population lives under the poverty line.

The sounds of car horns and squealing tires; 8,000 people die a year on the roads here, 30,000 plus are injured,

The eerie echo of mosques across the city, signaling a time of prayer; with a mosque on every other corner here it's no wonder they out number schools more then 13:1

Now add in the mix of over 100,000 refugees, fleeing from regions of war and persecution.

Suddenly, the little bubble of comfort seems to burst,
Our 'Second Cups' and 'Pizza Huts' here seem to push the boundaries, almost flaunting a lifestyle that the majority of nation only sees on billboards.

So where is the line?

Is it alright to enjoy the luxuries of our Western world to which we've become so accustom or should we now turn from them with this new insight?

Are the excuses we now make in our heads justified or do they come from denial, guilt and possibly a reluctance to let go?

Grace, Peace and Blessings,
Brent


Grace, Peace and Blessings,
Brent