imagine __________ but with asian people.

I have recently come to realize how globalized our world really is.

Take my recent trip to Ikea as an example. Inside and out, it looked just like an Ikea in America. Difference? Asian people instead of Americans.

I went to a rather large church yesterday that very much resembled your run of the mill mega church in America. Difference? Asian people instead of Americans.

The church experience was really fun, actually. The building was huge and there were tons and tons of people. Of which I was the only one of European descent to be seen. A towering 4 stories, this church was decked out with a fancy fountain/baptismal pool, escalator, and modern looking sanctuary. We got greeted about 8 times on our way in, showing us that, if anything, they have a really strong greeting team.

The absolute best part was the sermon, which happened to be on Revelation 6. The pastor was hilarious! This is how he started (paraphrased by me, of course)

I am going to start with a story about the time period when pirates sailed the Caribbean. Back then, merchant ships sailed in constant fear of pirates. This story is about one merchant ship in particular, that was sailing from Singapore to London with its load of spices and other exotic cargo. Now this ship had a new captain, one that was not only new to the ship but also the crew. Embarking on a journey as such means quite a bit of potential danger (storms, pirates, etc) and the crew wasn't sure how the new captain would handle such difficult situations.


The ship set sail without a hitch and it wasn't until a few days in that they faced their first challenge. "Pirates!" yelled the lookout, "Pirates off the Port side!" Sure enough, there was a pirate ship headed their way. No one new what to do so they looked to their new captain in anticipation. The captain, very calmly, turned to the cabin boy and said, "Boy, bring me my red jacket!" The cabin boy brought the jacket, and turning to the crew the captain put it on. He encouraged them saying, "We will fight these pirates! To the death! Stand firm and defend your ship!" When the pirates approached, the crew fought and fought behind their courageous new captain, and sure enough they beat the pirates!


Everyone was elated and proud of their battle, and they continued on their voyage. A while later, another call came from the crow's nest, "Pirates! Pirates! to the starboard!". This time there were not one, but two pirate ships! The crew was uneasy, sure, they had beat the pirates the last time. But now there were two ships! They looked to their captain, who turned to his cabin boy and said "Boy, bring me my red jacket!" He gave the same courageous speech as last time, "We will fight these pirates! To the death! Stand firm and defend your ship!" The crew was pumped up and stand and fight they did. They fought the pirates to the death! Before long the battle was over and both pirate ships had been defeated. 

That night there was the biggest celebration a ship on the open seas had ever seen. The crew drank and danced and celebrated the victory. Needless to say they were in complete awe of their captain--nothing seemed to faze him! After much eating and drinking, as the party died down, some of the crew approached the captain to ask him the secret of his courage. "This red jacket," they said, "why is it you always put it on before battle? Is it a lucky charm? Does it have magical powers?" "No," the captain answered frankly, "it does not have magical powers. When we're in a battle, if I get stabbed or shot, and blood starts to seep, you do not see it when I have on my red jacket. There is no better way to be discouraged in the heat of battle than if your leader is hurt, and so the red jacket disguises any injury that I may incur." The crew all sat in wonder, contemplating what their captain had just told them. 


After that night, the ship continued on its way without incident, until one day they heard the fateful call..."Pirates! Pirates! From the Port!" "Pirates from the starboard!" And sure enough, there were pirates approaching from both sides. Six ships this time! The crew had felt courageous after defeating two ships, but six?! They all swallowed their fear and looked to their captain expecting him to call for his red jacket and for him to give them a rousing speech. The captain turned to the cabin boy and said, "Boy, bring me my brown pants!"