Citizen of the World

The Hague is known for being a highly international city. Home to the International Court of Justice (the Peace Palace), the International Criminal Court, Europol, aka the European law enforcement, and the headquarters of the largest corporation in the world, Shell Oil, the city of peace and justice, as it is appropriately named, welcomes thousands of expats to its doorstep each year. The population of The Hague is approximately 500,000, plus two if you count Ryan and I, with a whopping 49% of the population representing non-Dutch nationalities. Ask any Dutch resident about The Hague and they will tell you that it truly is a culturally diverse and unique place to live, one that I believe cannot really be duplicated.

I recently landed a new job working for an international education non-profit organization. The organization has three global centres, the one I work at in The Hague, one in Asia and one in the U.S., as well as three other offices with employees working across the globe. There are over 30 different nationalities represented in the office I work in alone. I must say it has really been an eye-opening experience for me to be working alongside individuals from so many different backgrounds, cultures and countries. So far I have met great colleagues from the U.K., Spain, Hong Kong, France, South Africa, Ghana, Australia, Czech Repulic, the Netherlands and Iceland. I have often thought to myself where else would I have ever had this opportunity? How much there is for me to learn and take away from this experience.

We have also joined the only English speaking Roman Catholic Church in the city. Given that Masses are said primarily in English, the parish is attended by people from around the globe who are living and working in Holland. Some are here for only a few years, while others plan to be here for a much longer duration. Each person who steps into our new church home brings with them their own customs and style of worship. This was most beautifully displayed at our priest's Silver Jubilee Celebration. Just a few weeks after our arrival, Fr. Sjaak, our Dutch priest, celebrated his 25th anniverary to the priesthood, where there were Indonesian dancers, African drums, Spanish musicians, and scripture readings in multiple languages. We have joined several groups in the parish and have met some amazing people, all with their own stories and unique perceptions of the world.

Although I am an American and am grateful that it is my country of origin, I am excited for the opportunity to see the world through another lens, and become a global citizen. If you think about it, we are really one nation, with one citizenship in the City of God. He has created us differently so that we may learn from one another and grow in Christ's love. God is stretching me to put my prejudices and prenotions of others aside and really embrace those around me. The more I do this, the more joy I am given with each new person I meet.

The world is definitely much larger than I ever realized, and God's greatness even larger. I know now that had we never decided to leave the comforts of our familiar surroundings, and stepped out in faith, this blessing would have passed us by with the special gift to become a citizen of the world.