One of the dangers of self-absorption is the inflated view of oneself and the inability to see reality objectively. The United States has a self-absorbed culture. This little map might humble us enough to see that we Americans don't wear as big of britches on the world stage as we might think.
"I the LORD bring down the tall tree and I exalt the low tree." (Ezekiel 17:24).
Trees are often used as metaphors of people in Scripture. God's purpose for the people of any nation is to humble them so that they will trust in Him and not their industry, their money, or their power. Let's keep our perspective. The world doesn't revolve around us, but the world does revolve around the LORD, the Creator of the universe, and the Giver of life. Trust Him.
30 comments:
Thanks for sharing this website Wade. I enjoyed dragging countries around to compare. It reminded me of the SCTV skit with Dave Thomas and John Candy "What Fits Inside Mother Russia." With the dearth of actual globes in our classrooms, we are misled by geographic scale. Greenland is not so nearly large as we assume.
We have been told since the 1960's that the earth is overpopulated by humans and that we will destroy our planet. If you took every human alive on the earth today, and brought them all together (socially distanced of course) how much space do you think they would occupy; the Western Hemisphere? North America? the entire U.S.? They would only occupy an area the size of the state of Maryland; or to bring it closer to home, the Oklahoma Panhandle plus Harper, Woods, Woodward and Alfalfa Counties.
While the U.S. is not geographically large, compared to Asia or Africa. The idea from which the U.S. originated is HUGE, and unleashed a "5000 Year Leap" upon civilization. Your point is very well taken. We must always remember to humble ourselves before the Lord. We have been richly blessed.
Alaska adds a bit more landmass, but your point is well taken.
https://vividmaps.com/alaska-compared-to-lower-48/
I may make it to your church on October 18. I will be sure to say hello if I do.
Doug Pethoud,
Well said.
I had a choice of a gold watch or a round globe map of the world on a stand when I retired. I chose the map. It shows Greenland’s actual size and the size of all countries. Since It’s 26 years old, some countries on it don’t exist anymore.
Tango Whiskey,
You have an unusual name. Alaska is larger than Texas, but if the land under all the lakes were removed, it’d be smaller. One of my sons was ‘started’ there, and the other was born there.
Doug Pethound,
Well said.
I had a choice of a gold watch or a round globe map of the world on a stand. I chose the map. It shows Greenland’s actual size and the size of all countries. Since It’s 26 years old, some countries on it don’t exist anymore.
Tango Whiskey,
You have an unusual name. Alaska is larger than Texas, but if the land under all the lakes were removed, it’d be smaller. One of my sons was ‘started’ there, and the other was born there.
P.S.
https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=0vyAX_HQGMKAtgXV8qLwDw&iflsig=AINFCbYAAAAAX4EK4nNs8o6nvLoqpx9EO4W6jFFaIxqb&q=how+many+lakes+does+alaska+have&oq=how+many+lakes+does+Ala&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQARgAMgUIABDJAzICCAA6DgguELEDEMcBEKMCEJMCOgsILhCxAxDHARCjAjoICAAQsQMQgwE6CAguELEDEIMBOgUIABCxAzoECAAQAzoICAAQsQMQyQM6AgguOgYIABAWEB5Q4g1Y615g-3xoAHAAeACAAXiIAZEOkgEEMjAuM5gBAKABAaoBB2d3cy13aXo&sclient=psy-ab
“Alaska has about 3,197 officially named natural lakes, out of over 3,000,000 unnamed natural lakes, approximately 67 named artificial reservoirs, and 167 named dams.”
Google states: “Alaska has 99 times as much inland water (in lakes, reservoirs, and rivers) as Texas. So, I’ll state again: I believe Texas has more land than Alaska if you remove all the land that’s under water. :)
By the way, our father, my twin brother, and our cousin, Claude Earl Hicks (Wade’s Post on 9-9-20) went on an unsuccessful bear hunt on a river that was near Quinhagak, Alaska. (Our parents taught school there to Eskimos). Our father was 57, Claude Earl was 27, and we were 22.
A local paper wrote our “unsuccessful” bear hunt with the title “Perils of a bear hunt”. We were told there were bears on the nearest mountain but we never got there.
First night was spent on the ocean beach because the ocean tide had gone out. Second night was spent half way to the mountain because the river current was so fast.
When the river got too shallow to use the boat, and we walked most of the day on tundra (On normal land, we could have crawled faster.) our third night was spent a long way from the mountain.
After eating the last of our food for breakfast, we came back exhausted. (Yes, the water was gone when we reached the ocean.)
Hello WADE,
I appreciate your words, these:
" . . . the world does revolve around the LORD, the Creator of the universe, and the Giver of life. Trust Him."
I have known for a very long time that those who follow Christ must honor His Words above all others, especially His Words in recognition of ALL those in need of our help when they are oppressed and wounded and in need of care. In the Holy Gospel of St. Matthew, Our Lord
aligns Himself with those to whom we must give kindness and care in the Holy Gospel of St. Matthew.
Some thoughts from different parts of the Church and the faithful:
" . . . reject nationalism’s claim that the stranger, refugee, and migrant are enemies of the people. Where nationalism fears the stranger as a threat to political community, the church welcomes the stranger as necessary for full communion with God. Jesus Christ identifies himself with the poor, imprisoned foreigner in need of hospitality. “For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me” (Matthew 25:41-43).
. . . . reject the nationalist’s inclination to despair when unable to monopolize power and dominate opponents. When Christians change from majority to minority status in a given country, they should not contort their witness in order to stay in power. The church remains the church even as a political minority, even when unable to influence the government or when facing persecution.
In charity and in hope, we urge our fellow Christians to repudiate the temptations and the falsehoods of nationalism. The politics of xenophobia, even when dressed up in high-minded social critique, can only be pursued in contradiction of the Gospel. A true culture of life welcomes the stranger, embraces the orphan, and binds the wounds of all who are our neighbors—all who lie lifeless on the road, as the pious walk silently past."
these excerpts are from, this:
https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/open-letter-against-new-nationalism
The universal 'natural law' as described in Romans, chapter 2:
"12for as many as without law did sin, without law also shall perish, and as many as did sin in law, through law shall be judged, 13for not the hearers of the law [are] righteous before God, but the doers of the law shall be declared righteous: — 14For, when nations that have not a law, by nature may do the things of the law, these not having a law — to themselves are a law; 15 who do shew the work of THE LAW WRITTEN IN THEIR HEARTS, their conscience also witnessing with them, and between one another the thoughts accusing or else defending, 16in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men, according to my good news, through Jesus Christ."
I promise this is my last comment on this subject. :)
After the bear hunt, I got marred three years later, and Claude Earl was my best man. My uncle, Rex Ray (missionary to China 30 years) was the preacher.
But before that (a year after the bear hunt) my brother came from Alaska to see me graduate from North Texas College. But he and Claude Earl got busy talking and missed the graduation. Judy saw me get a diploma.
Was noticing the 'size' of the United States compared to the continent of Africa, and I thought how much smaller Egypt was than the USA,
which is strange when you think that the smaller Egypt was able to give sanctuary to an asylum family over 2000 years ago and this graciousness is remembered in sacred Scripture in the Holy Gospel of St. Matthew chapter 2:
"behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young Child and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.
14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my Son.
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men
17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying,
18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted . . . "
And then we are left with this command in sacred Scripture also"
"Do not mistreat or abuse foreigners who live among you"
(Exodus, chapter 22)
Perhaps the size of a country does not determine it's importance to God in the history of mankind's salvation after all. :)
And 'greatness' will never be had in a land where babies are taken from their mother's arms, no. I think we have literal proof of how this has worked out in the degree of suffering it has caused among the asylum seekers whose children were taken away from their mother's arms in a land seeking 'greatness'.
So we know. We know.
Was noticing the 'size' of the United States compared to the continent of Africa, and I thought how much smaller Egypt was than the USA,
which is strange when you think that the smaller Egypt was able to give sanctuary to an asylum family over 2000 years ago and this graciousness is remembered in sacred Scripture in the Holy Gospel of St. Matthew chapter 2:
"behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young Child and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.
14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my Son.
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men
17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying,
18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted . . . "
And then we are left with this command in sacred Scripture also"
"Do not mistreat or abuse foreigners who live among you"
(Exodus, chapter 22)
Perhaps the size of a country does not determine it's importance to God in the history of mankind's salvation after all. :)
And 'greatness' will never be had in a land where babies are taken from their mother's arms, no. I think we have literal proof of how this has worked out in the degree of suffering it has caused among the asylum seekers whose children were taken away from their mother's arms in a land seeking 'greatness'.
So we know. We know.
Hi Wade,
Love your blog. Just FYI the link in your article, rather than going to True Size, goes to draft.blogger.
CHRISTIANE,
You said, “'greatness' will never be had in a land where babies are taken from their mother's arms, no.”
I can’t find where Google EVER says babies were taken from their mother’s arms. Please give me a reference if you find it.
If you do find it, how many were there? Would it compare to the 1,291,000 abortions that Google reported in 2001?
Hello REX RAY,
This reference will get you started:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump_administration_family_separation_policy
REX RAY, at the end of the 'wiki' article, there are almost 400 references to follow up on but don't stay up all night reading
CHRISTIANE,
Your link made no reference of babies being taken from their mother’s arms.
You do know the difference between babies and children, don’t you?
In fact, many children are brought to the border by someone that’s not their parents.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/20/politics/immigration-border-separations-tender-age-shelters/index.html
I hope this helps:
https://www.splcenter.org/news/2020/06/17/family-separation-under-trump-administration-timeline
CHRISTIANE,
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/461230-biden-incorrectly-claims-obama-administration-didnt-separate-families
“Former Vice President Joe Biden falsely claimed during the third Democratic primary debate Thursday evening that the Obama administration did not separate immigrant families.”
“We didn’t lock people up in cages, we didn’t separate families,” Biden said, drawing a distinction between former President Obama’s immigration policies with those of President Trump.”
CHRISTIANE, do you remember Trump was accused of putting children in cages by a photograph of children in a cage, but the date on the photograph was the year that Obama was President?
CHRISTIANE,
Biden was accused of lying, but I don’t believe what he said was a lie but only an untruth because he’s unable to remember correctly.
Good Morning, REX RAY
This is helpful reading in my opinion, and the references at the end are awesome:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump_administration_family_separation_policy#Obama_administration
"In 2015 Obama introduced the Family Case Management Program which, according to the fact sheet about the program, specifically prioritized "families with certain vulnerabilities, including pregnant or nursing family member; those with very young children; family members with medical/mental health concerns; families who speak only indigenous languages; and other special needs" to offer an alternative to being held in detention centers while awaiting the court to process their asylum claims, which often takes years.[49]"
REX RAY,
the Trump Administration dismantled the Family Case Management Program introduced by Obama and went to a 'no tolerance' program that in my opinion, went too far in its punitive and cruel treatment of 'families with certain vulnerabilities'.
You asked if I knew the 'difference' between babies and children, and having raised a child with Down Syndrome, I can tell you that 'vulnerability' may exist in some children far longer than most,
so person-by-person, case-by-case, child-by-child, we look at the 'special needs' to sort out how best to treat people humanely.
Rex Ray,
Re: the date on the photograph attributed to Obama. Surely you know how videos and images can be (and often are) manipulated to accomplish the desired result.
Who can forget the video of a white child chasing a black child down the sidewalk? In reality, those two children were running towards one another!! It was manipulated to prove racism is alive and well in the US.
You can read about it here:
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/19/trump-racist-baby-tweet-gets-slapped-with-manipulated-media-label.html
Here's the actual video:
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/10/us/new-york-toddlers-hugging-trnd/index.html
Just some thoughts that make me think we almost can't believe anything we hear for see today. :(
Victorious,
I don’t believe you said: “…we almost can't believe anything we hear for see today.” because you would have said: ‘…we hear or see today.’ :)
All joking aside, a photograph of two people can be ‘faked’ so they’ve switched heads.
I have a picture of a fish from our ten-acre lake with a dome on its head taken by a girl. Her biology teacher said he hated fake photography. Fish and Wildlife said it had a “hole-in-the-head-disease caused by too many fish.”
Back to the subject of Democrats vs. Republicans: An add in our local paper said we should vote Democrat because Sam Rayburn and JFK were Democrats.
Victorious, can you prove during the third Democratic primary debate Joe Biden did NOT say the Obama administration did not separate immigrant families?
I don’t expect an answer.
Rex, why don't you expect an answer....smile....Here's what I've found.
The Obama administration did not separate families as a matter of policy, as the Trump administration did as part of its "zero tolerance" border policy in 2018, but separations occurred on a case-by-case basis for parents being prosecuted on more serious charges than illegally crossing the border or in cases when an adult was suspected of not being a child's parent, according to CNN.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/461230-biden-incorrectly-claims-obama-administration-didnt-separate-families
(In fact, thousands of children were taken from their parents under the Trump administration's 2018 zero-tolerance policy.)
But then Trump also attempted to deflect outrage over photographs of immigrant children being kept in "cages" by asserting, "Obama built the cages. I didn't build them. Obama built them":
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/obama-build-cages-immigrants/
Hello REX RAY,
You asked if I knew the 'difference' between babies and children,
and having raised a child with Down Syndrome, I can tell you that 'vulnerability' may exist in some children far longer than most,
so person-by-person, case-by-case, child-by-child, we look at the 'special needs'
to sort out how best to treat people humanely. Most importantly, this is a work of love.
https://eccretreat.org/#header-gallery-4
Rex, you asked....
Victorious, can you prove during the third Democratic primary debate Joe Biden did NOT say the Obama administration did not separate immigrant families?
And although you didn't expect an answer, I submit what I found:
The Obama administration did not separate families as a matter of policy, as the Trump administration did as part of its "zero tolerance" border policy in 2018, but separations occurred on a case-by-case basis for parents being prosecuted on more serious charges than illegally crossing the border or in cases when an adult was suspected of not being a child's parent, according to CNN.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/461230-biden-incorrectly-claims-obama-administration-didnt-separate-families
and
(In fact, thousands of children were taken from their parents under the Trump administration's 2018 zero-tolerance policy.)
But then Trump also attempted to deflect outrage over photographs of immigrant children being kept in "cages" by asserting, "Obama built the cages. I didn't build them. Obama built them":
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/obama-build-cages-immigrants/
Victorious,
You gave this link. https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/461230-biden-incorrectly-claims-obama-administration-didnt-separate-families
You quoted the first part of the link, but not the last part that states:
“Children were also placed in cages in some cases under the Obama administration, and Obama-era images of children in such structures have been mislabeled as occurring under the Trump administration on several occasions. The Hill has reached out to the Biden campaign for comment.”
That’s called ‘shooting yourself in the foot’. :)
You also gave a link from snopes.com.
I realized many years ago that snopes.com was a reliable source of information until it came to Obama. It’s worse than ‘fake news’.
CHRISTIANE,
Hey! No fair!
You’d said: “greatness will never be had in a land where babies are taken from their mother's arms, no.” and gave a link telling of CHILDREN being separated from their parents with NO reference of BABIES being taken from their mother’s arms, so, that’s why I asked if you knew the difference between the two.
Then you made my heart hurt by telling your child has Down Syndrome.
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