It has been eleven months since I started this blog. Initially I had a number of adventures to share with you, but then it stopped. COVID-19 came along and the whole world shut down. How do you write a travel blog when you can’t travel? Where do you get inspiration for that next post?
The good news is my blog is not like most travel blogs. If you look at most such blogs they will have titles such as “The Five Must-See Places in Paris” or “Where to Find the Best Pizza in New York.” I don’t pretend to be an expert on the locations I visit. I’m not trying to be your tour guide. Instead I am just trying to tell a story, my story. I am sharing my experiences of traveling hoping to inspire my readers to travel as well. I want this to be an inspiration blog.
However, it’s not just about inspiring you to travel for the sake of a bucket list or bragging rights. It’s traveling to help expand one’s mind. It’s traveling to see the great diversity that exists in our world; a diversity of landscape, culture and people. It’s in the subtitle of my blog: Life’s a journey, travel often, learn much.
To me this is even more important as I look at what is going on in the world around me, especially here in the United States. I am so saddened to see how we have become so divided as a nation. It seems we are all trying to isolate into our own tribe whether that tribe be about skin color, ethnic origin, religious beliefs, or political persuasion. Once we find our tribe, whatever it may be, then we want to keep everyone else out. We try to set ourselves up as superior to others when in truth, we are not.
Traveling helps us see the equality of all mankind. We discover that we all have similar desires, and we all struggle with similar challenges. When I was in Malawi I heard the desire of young men to be successful and be able to care for their families. In Australia I saw people proud of their country and enthusiastic for their sports teams, sports that were unfamiliar to me. Beneath the differences that we tend to focus on, lies the common human spirit that exists in all of us no matter who we are.
So in the midst of this divisive world, a ray of hope entered for me in a unique way. And it is with this ray of hope that I want to inspire you today. It came in the form of a song written by members of the Elevation Church. The words come from the blessing found in Numbers 6:24-26. It’s a familiar verse to most Christians, but at this time it took on a new meaning. Virtual choirs which encompass people from many different Christian backgrounds come together to sing it. They sing “The Blessing” to their own country. They are asking that in the midst of the COVID pandemic that God will be at work in their nation.
I discovered this a few weeks ago, and I have listened to many of these virtual choirs. They come from all over the world. They are amazing. Many include an English verse in the song, but those from non-English nations will include translations in their native tongues, sometimes in a variety of dialects.
As I watch the people sing, I realize how much they are like me. I see them in their homes or their churches, and I get a sense of unity with them. I also get a glimpse of some of the diversity in their clothing or their instruments as well as their language, and I appreciate their unique interpretation of the song.
So for this blog I’m not showing you my pictures, I am encouraging you to listen to YouTube videos of these amazing virtual choirs. I want you to go on a world tour through these videos. The ones I am suggesting have either great video clips of their country or some interesting cultural elements. However, as you watch these particular videos, you will see others in the list of potential videos; so feel free to explore. You can spend hours viewing all of them.
The videos are each generally six to eight minutes long. I know that watching all five at once would be a long time, but perhaps you can watch one or two today and then come back another day to watch some of the others. Listening to “The Blessing” can be a great way to start your day.
The first video I would suggest you watch is from Australia. It has video clips of sweeping views from around the country so you can see some of their beautiful landscape. In one of the clips I recognize a location from our trip there last fall. It might inspire you to visit. (Fun exercise: can you find the flying rubber chicken?)
The next one I would invite you to watch is from Indonesia. That is not a country that we normally think of as have a strong Christian presence, but there is obviously a vital presence of Christians there who put this one together. This video has video clips of the country, but also different dialects. I might note that there are also videos from nearby Malaysia and Singapore which are both worth listening to.
The African nations have also contributed with versions from South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, and Zambia among others. I am including here the video from Zimbabwe. This is one of the most energetic and emotional versions of the song you will hear.
If you want a change of pace about now I would suggest watching the video from Ireland. Rather than do the song “The Blessing” which the other countries have done, they chose their own Irish song to sing. There are again some inspiring clips of this magnificent place as well as Irish dancing and instruments to give you a glimpse of the Irish culture. Your toes will be tapping by the end.
My final recommendation is not from a specific country, but comes from the Arab world. Participants from a variety of Arabic speaking countries sing “The Blessing.” Besides having some amazing shots of this parts of the world, it gives encouragement from a region where there seems to be so much conflict and chaos. It is a good reminder of the wonderful people that exist in this part of our world.
Well that’s my short list. I wish I could give you more, but go ahead and explore and find a version that specifically touches you. I’d love to hear which version you found to be a blessing for you. Make a note in the comment section below. Above all I pray that this gives you hope and encouragement. 2020 has been a challenging year so far in so many ways, but the words that ring true for me in this song are “He (God) is for you.” Amen
Hey Steve. Travel blogs are placeholders for the 5 places to see or the best way to see Hanoi Vietnam in 5 days. I’ve lived now in Hanoi for six months and suffice to say you cannot see Hanoi or Phnom Penh or Taipei in so many days. You can see and then write a blogpost on those things and create ads and affiliate links and Pinterest links and Instagram captions but none of these capture the essence of any of the places. Hanoi is more and less and you have to go at the small things and alleys and side streets. The so called big things line up here like the mausoleum and museums. What it’s really about though is not the things. It’s the people. The wonderful, friendly, and welcoming people. All those travel blogs you mention don’t deal with what the authors felt or thought or feared or wondered in Hanoi or Taipei. To me and I still create and update my little attempt At blogging it’s what is missing from the legions of nomads and expat bloggers and their 5 things to see in two days clickbait posts. Blogging is more than that and back 20 years ago when I started it was wonderful words all lovingly tied together with ideas, moments and experiences. We’ve lost that in favor of lists and things to pack. It’s too bad because blogging has stumbled, got s bloody nose, and now has sunk to topics and categories and lists of things. It didn’t used to be this way. We’ve lost more than we gained. I think you should write the small things down that alley in Saigon just like the big things. Frame them with ideas. Not lists.
Thanks, Mike, I appreciate your perspective. I find when I travel that while I may plan to see certain big places, that I often just wander around, and that’s the fun part of traveling. It’s the unexpected moments that become memorable. Thanks for keeping up your blog. I do read it.
I had not seen these. Thanks so much, I’ve really enjoyed exploring them. I also enjoyed the Global Dance video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9bwQsqqkew&feature=emb_rel_end
Thanks, Becky, yes I saw the dance video. It was pretty interesting. I just wish they had included more non-Americans.
This is awesome Steve. I’ve been enjoying these for weeks but you added a couple new ones I hadn’t seen. Just when I think I have a favorite (i.e. Zimbabwe) another one comes along (i.e. Arab) that moves me on another level. I love them all! Thanks for putting them together in this post with your comments. Very meaningful. Jeff
Thanks, Jeff, even putting this together I discovered some new ones. They are all so inspiring.