International Student Chapel and "Taste the World" Event

     Today I made time to go to the International Student Chapel, which is an annual event put on by the International Student Committee.  CMU students from around the world were asked to describe their experiences of God in different countries.  Elisa from El Salvador was one of those students.  I thought I'd share her comments with you.


Please close your eyes and let me take you to the beautiful country of El Salvador.
Imagine being enclosed in a courtyard --
   surrounded by a garden, with lush exotic plants...
                                             and open air.
Above you see big dark clouds rolling in the distance...
They fill the sky -- the world begins to darken.
A flash of wind whips through the courtyard 
                               but only for a second.
Then the earth becomes completely still.
In the distance -- you hear thunder.
The sky above is black.
Quarter size rain drops pour from the sky
            Free falling to the ground.
Within seconds your senses are overwhelmed by warm rain.
Salvadoran children with hearts of sunshine run outside to dance
thrilled to celebrate this moment.
A second later sweet Salvadoran music plays.
Your senses are overwhelmed by God's glorious creation and beauty.  
Everyone is dancing in adoration.
It's astonishing to be alive. 

 After the chapel, we were all treated to a sampling of food from locations all around the world.

     There was quite an array!
     This was a friendly reminder that not everyone comes from the same background and experiences as me.  People have differing perspectives and tastes.  Part of what university is supposed to do is teach you to have an open mind and welcome new ideas.  Sometimes this can be very hard.  Take, for example, different conceptions of God.  I want to be comfortable with that tension between speaking my mind while being respectful of others.