By Dwight A. Moody
Your travel to the far side of the world will also be a spiritual experience. The Bible bears witness to the transformational power of such experiences. Abraham had a passport: that is implied in the narratives in both the Old and New Testaments. International travel is a fundamental part of the biblical record. Genesis chapter 12 records these words of God to Abraham: "Go from your country and your kinfolk, and go to a land that I will show you. I will make of you a great people. Through you I will bless all the people of the world."
Don't get me wrong: home is good. Everybody needs a home. Everybody needs parents who welcome you, a place that is safe. We hope this college campus will be your home. For a year, the big bench in front of Anderson Hall carried the message, "Georgetown College: No Place Like Home." Our nation is also our home. I remember vividly, even though it is now 30 years ago, the emotion I felt when we flew over New York after a year overseas and saw the Statue of Liberty. I was thrilled to be home. But too much attachment to home can constrict life, can prevent growth, can inhibit exploration, can stifle imagination. In short, spending too much time at home can prevent you from being all you can be. It can be a tether that keeps you bound to some iron pole.
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The world situation may make you fearful to travel, may pull you toward home. On Thursday of this week, we will remember 9-11. That day of tragedy reminded us of the danger that is in the world, that there are people who aim to harm and hurt. It has become an annual day of remembrance and prayer, one that nurtures our sense of patriotism, one that we celebrate with a commitment to community service. But it must also be a day when we affirm again our place in this village we call the world. It is a day when we hear again that oft-repeated promise of the Word of God: "Do not fear." Psalm 46 reminds us: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult." Jesus said, "I am with you until the end of the age."
I received my first passport when I was 22 years old and a senior at Georgetown College. I traveled to England to study philosophy. It was also a trip of discovery, especially of self discovery. We visited the ancient and awesome monuments at Stonehenge; we saw live stage performances of "A Mid-Summer Night's Dream" and "Godspell;" we went to Scarborough, a city made famous by the song of Simon and Garfunkle; we toured St. Andrews Castle in Scotland; we walked across the commons at Oxford and Cambridge Universities; and yes, somewhere along the way we actually learned a little philosophy!