America is the best place in the world! I know some of you just read that and asked yourself, “how?” or muttered a “typical”. To be honest, in the wake of recent events, I’ve asked myself those same questions. We have traveled the world together, experienced the same places, but in our own unique ways. I have seen most of what would be considered “the west,” now especially after my travels following our trip. In all that tromping and galavanting, one thing rang true, I missed Texas. This alone is not a testament to the greatness of America, because anyone would miss the familiarity of their home, but it was what I missed that truly shocked me. I missed the attitude of the people. We take for granted the enthusiastic spirit of advance that is embedded in the heart of Americans. I missed the individuality of the American family and the societal push for excellence. I missed the prevalence of Christianity and faith that guides so many principles in our society, whether personally subscribed to or not. Going to Europe was a fascinating experience because, like most major changes, it made me appreciate what I have here.
In no way is America perfect. After arriving back home I have slowly begun to miss certain aspects of Europe. I do not miss the DB or the buses, but after recently having to go back and forth between College Station, Longview, and Dallas multiple times, it really made me miss the ICE trains in Germany. I miss the HISTORY… you guys know how much I love history, and that's a hard hobby to tangibly enjoy when the oldest thing in your area is from 1840. I miss the romance of Prague and Paris. I miss the Food of Brussels and Amsterdam. I miss walking the streets of Bonn every day. I miss exploring ancient cities with you guys. I miss Mao in the pubs late at night, and I miss Boy Berry with Aiden and Caroline. Ultimately, when I think more and more about Germany, I realize that my swift acclimation to the new way of life was brought about through my familiarity and friendship with you all.
I have been affected in many ways by our journey together through Europe. I can never look at ice cubes without appreciation. I will never not praise god for free water at restaurants. More seriously, I read the news about foreign affairs and no longer feel detached from the problem. What was once in a distant land inconsequential to me is now affecting good friends I made, like Andrew from Zambia, Constantine from Ukraine, Thomas from Norwich, England, that drag queen in Vienna, Frederik from Fussen, or Lorenzo from Paris. The civil unrest in Europe is not only a macroeffector in my eyes, but now has microimplications on the lives of those I have gotten to know. And yet, my powerlessness to do anything subdues my anxiety, and I must trudge on to class or activities as if the streets of London are not filled, or the Russians are not teasing NATO land grabs. I am trapped in empathy because they are no longer faceless. I am stuck in anxiety because I know their names. The greatest effect that the study abroad experience has had on me by far is an overwhelming reorganization of my thoughts after consideration of separating the people from their governments. In the same way, at many times, when I was treated as a man, judged not by the nationality I hail from, but judged by the content of my character, I am now compelled to render the same grace to not only allies, but even individuals who are acting against my own interests.
My study abroad experience has not affected my identity, but only emboldened it. My paramount identity is my faith in Jesus Christ: his life, death, and resurrection. Too often can those who claim the name of Jesus grow apathetic in a culture of American Christianity. But, after going to Europe and seeing a society that values God far less than my own, I saw only depravity and hopelessness. The atheistic megaculture of central Europe, opposed largely and only by a wealthy, politicized, Catholic church that seeks the edification of itself rather than the name of Jesus, breeds into the society an arrogance and a dangerous lie. An arrogance to think that we can live fulfilled lives when man’s common nature is to be satisfied by unsatisfying pleasures, and a dangerous lie that those unsatisfying pleasures are non-destructive, or even constructive to you as a person. I am confident that I will only be fulfilled through faith in Jesus’ sacrifice for me on the cross. From that breeds life and goodness. I know some of you agree with me, I know some of you are indifferent to what I’m saying, and I know some of you might totally disagree with me, but I have no choice but to stand for what I believe to be true. That 1) we have sinned 2) because of that, we cannot be with God in heaven 3) through his love he sent his Son Jesus to pay the price for our sins 4) we are now welcomed into relationship with him and have the hope that one day, all the darkness, death, and depravity that we see in our world today will be wiped away, and what is truly good will be restored. And 5) that this future is afforded to all of us through the belief in these above tenets. This is true goodness.
Finally, after experiencing a modicum of european society, I now have a vested interest in their improvement. In so many way, in the name of progress, many european countries have forgotten their history and their individualizing nature. I want to see Europe succeed. I want them to emerge as a lighthouse of freedom and western values. But as long as their societies are sown together by the thread of governmental overreach, shame, and nihilism, they will continue to remain a shell of their former selves. So often, we look at history and we commit two grave errors when it comes to the true understanding of events. First, we forget the the victors write the history books. Second, we always read ourselves as the “good guys”. From my reading of scripture, I have been trained to avoid the latter, as if you read the bible as if you’re Jesus or the apostles, you missed the whole point. In the same way, as we read history of major world conflicts such as the American Revolution, French Revolution, Napoleonic Wars, the American Civil War, WWI, WWII, Vietnam, or the Gulf Wars, we must not look at these events as “us against them” or even in a light of victorious conquest. Each of these were tragedies for everyone involved, and yet somehow, the older the conflict and the futher removed we are from the war, the more legendized they become. It is much harder for us to dismiss the loss of life in the Gulf Wars than it is for us to declare the necessity of those of the American Revolution. My point circles all the way back to our experience in Germany. When I think of Nazi Germany, I do not think of the modern German people. The instability of the Weimar Republic was used as a vehicle for one of the greatest evils in human history to be carried out. In my personal opinion, if we want to progress as a people, if we want to see the world come into a new age of peace, we must view these evils as a blemish on all of mankind, not just Germany. At the hollocaust museum in Washington D.C. a key theme is to “never forget…”. As a kid, when I read these words in the museum, I was filled with indignation for the German people. I thought the call was to never allow them to get away with it again. I held this pit in my stomach until I rounded one of the final corners to gaze upon the true meaning of this hallowed script. In an unassuming box read, “never forget… that we are capable of this”. It was a true call to understanding the heart of man and the lengths it will go to to justify immorality. It was a reminder that as much as we would love to believe it, we are all susceptible to the influence paraded over nazi germany. It was a charge to resist casting shame upon the vessel, and rather recognize our universal weakness to such evils. The sad truth is, many Germans grew up and are being raised to feel individual shame for actions they did not commit. Shall the crimes of the father be payed for by his son? I think that such misalignment of their guilt, and such condescendance upon the next generation is a pressure cooker for social upheaval. Ultimately, people will become what they are labeled if they see no way out. We see this in concepts of stereotype threat and stigmatization yeilds. If a black kid in an urban neighborhood is told he wont succeed, it is unbelievably hard for them to rise out of their situation. If a white kid is told that he is a racist and the problem with society, they will be radicalized to a state not previously on the political compass (as we are alarmingly seeing right now). Evenso, if a whole society is labeled as the progenitors of humanities greatest evil, they will too become disillusioned with civil discourse, free society, and do one of two things: become really pitifully passive and apologetic, or seek to establish a world where their own children will not be subjected to such labeling by whatever means necessary.
This I fear is where we are. With growing political division in Europe, and growing political violence here (on both sides, I’m not blind) we have a big decision ahead in our coming years. What world do we want to make for our children? Do you want your child to be disenfranchised based on the color of their skin? Do you want politics to divide the family unit? Do you want traditional values to be replaced with moral relativism? Do you want your child to bear the weight of your ancestors wrongs or share the weight of the human condition? I believe the answer to these questions are easy, and the truth they espouse is found in Christ alone.
I really loved this whole experience with you guys and hope to stay friends with all you for a long time. Just know that I think very highly of all of you. Some of you challenged me greatly in my beliefs, some of you showed me true friendship, some of you just made me laugh, but I will forever remember this study abroad experience not only for the cultures I experienced, but the people I had the privilege of doing it with.
Love you all,
Thomas Carroll ‘26
