Interchange: The Travel Bug
Emma Thornett / Briefing #275 / August 2001 /
Emma Thornett's short piece on the pleasures and pitfalls of travel generated much discussion about how, whether and why Christians travel. Read responses from
Emma Thornett responds:
I realize (after receiving several comments along these lines) that my article may have given the impression that I now think all travel is ungodly or worthless and that, if you are a Christian, you should not travel. I do not think along these lines at all. You can learn much about God's creation and work from seeing what life is like in other parts of the world. You can be faced with the stark reality of the struggles other Christians face, and you can be made truly thankful for what God has given you. Travel is also certainly a good way to relax for some people.
My intended point was simply that as Christians, we need to think about our reasons for travelling: we need to plan our travel and make sure that we are not also taking a ‘holiday away from God’ (as if that were possible!). To that end, the tips that Polly Seidler and Suzanne Weinberger included are excellent.
There is a lack of Christian material on travelling in general. Judging from the feedback on my little article, the issue is a ‘live’ one. People today have greater mobility and greater disposable income, and therefore more opportunities to travel.
Nevertheless, it is a privilege (and not a ‘right’ or a necessity) to do so, and should be thought through with wisdom and care for God's kingdom. There are good reasons to travel, and bad reasons to travel. There are wise ways of travelling and there are unwise ways of travelling. However, these are issues for someone else to deal with at another time.
