I had not realized the privilege I had to travel such as this book describes, until I recognized the linkages between all peoples which this book wrestles with.    It was not a tourist holiday.  It was as ‘a helper’ within three different organizations which exist to improve life outcomes for diverse populations of people.

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At one level was the physical, geographic environment which humans have adapted in order to sustain life and commerce.  On another level internal to each person is the emotional and spiritual makeup which gives personal meaning to each one.  Ultimately, this has lead me to examine the three monotheistic faiths as applied to each country I visited.  This in itself has influenced the culture we each live by.

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At a practical level as individuals we often keep our system of beliefs private unless challenged.  Then we may react defensively to a certain degree.  There have been religious wars in time past.  Rather, it is far better to use this reasonable opportunity—God’s way, of reasoning together, showing respect to the other. 

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The initial trigger for writing was the flare up of the Black Lives Matter demonstration—not the painful behaviour of the Minneapolis police, or the lingering rage of the crowd; but the destructive element that human beings are capable of in homes and communities across the nations. 

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Thus I was prompted to write about the diverse environments I had visited as a tourist, and which spoke to me.

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-- Dr. Loris Gillin