During the vacation + monk stuff (i.e. retreat) up at SJU over the summer one of the one of the novices was talking about the differences between 1st and 3rd world countries. He then went on to say that there is such a thing as the 4th world. And that is where the people living in a 1st world country have 3rd world practices. Sorry Newark, NJ, but he was referring to you. I am going to take it a step further and explain a 5th world.
There haven’t been too many people who can honestly say that they have even been there, I am not even sure that I have. But the 5th world is where someone who was raised in a 1st world country goes and lives in a 3rd world country. And this isn’t something where you can boast about having been there and back, especially if you only visited an impoverished place for a few weeks. Yes the “living” there is difficult, but a few weeks just isn’t enough time to be completely immersed in a culture and have your entire way of living, everything that you have ever known come crashing down on your head until all that is left of what you have lived are your memories, friends and family, and occasionally faint glimpses of the life you once had.
I will digress for a moment. There is a quote that I have more or less lived by when it comes to religion and it is, “Going to church and calling yourself a good Catholic makes about as much sense as standing in your garage and calling yourself a car.” While it may be true, there are more things that define a good Catholic and a car than simply their location. And I am by no means putting myself on a pedestal. Hell, it took me 22+ years and three continents before I started going to church on a regular basis (without my parents). That is also not to say that there aren’t some special circumstances that are helping my current streak (accessibility – I live about 20 ft from the chapel entrance, it’s a conspiracy I tell you; time – I have a boatload of time on my hands, so why not go; dependence - my stipend depends on it – to name a few). But at least I am going. As for the talking to God piece, I get more quality “God” time in helping other people and using my gifts and talents to create a seemingly better world. I guess you could say that I am a car parked on the street, not perfect and most likely roughed up by the elements, but a working car nonetheless.
Pulling it all back together, you need to completely experience something like the 5th world in order to have a greater appreciation for and understanding of it. And in writing this I am thinking that I haven’t even fully experienced this yet, but knowing that I will still be here for at least 6 more months and that is enough to make me think that by the end of my time here I will have. Even just knowing that everything that was once familiar is still a half of a year away is simply mind-boggling. That also makes me think that the 5th world is as much of a mental place as it is virtual. And as I stated earlier, the longevity of a stay makes the experience. I will say that having lived here, even for this short of a time period I have a much deeper appreciation for the easiness of the life I once had….running water, reliable electricity, internet, air conditioning or at least a fan, medicine and the EASE OF MIND knowing that I would be relatively safe if something happened to me, my bed and blanky, a plethora of nutritional and non-nutritional food, a mode of transportation, leisure activities, reliable access to news sources, ESPN, friends , family, girls, and last but not least sterile bathrooms.
Welcome to the 5th World.
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