The Wholesome Side of Social Media

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The X audience has been captivated by a German guy known as Freddy, who has been posting about his travels across the American South. Here for the World Cup, he’s eaten at BW3’s and Taco Bell, marveled at Buc-ee’s, and tubed the Chattahoochee. In Houston, JJ Watt has put him up in a five-star hotel room, and he’s headed to an Ella Langley concert later this month.

Hosted this year (mostly) in the United States, the World Cup has brought thousands of first-time visitors, and Freddy isn’t the only one to post on social media about the experience. Many are shocked at how welcoming Americans are. As a woman named Skylar put it in a post:

I came to America expecting a great World Cup. What I didn’t expect was how welcoming everyone would be. Every local I’ve met has been desperate to recommend places to visit, food to try, and things to see. Americans, thank you.

A New Jersey deli rolled out the red carpet for an English couple. A Scottish guy held his first helping of North Carolina ribs as if it were his first child. An Italian guy was amazed by unlimited refills on soda and free ice. A Swedish woman learned there is better Wi-Fi flying over the Rockies than back home. The wealth, beauty, variety, and friendliness of ordinary Americana is blowing minds. Freddy was as impressed by a gas station in rural Alabama, a Bass Pro Shop, and a Waffle House as he was by a private tour of the New Orleans Saints facility.p

Most foreigners who visit America see only New York, LA, and Disney World. International news about America is headlined by dark accounts and sinister accusations. So is American news. Even without the obvious bias, the journalistic maxim of “If it bleeds, it leads” often makes things sound worse than they are. There’s always the dual temptation of either only praising America or being too good and enlightened to ever report anything positive about it.

A century ago, the great British writer GK Chesterton noted the strange way people often think about their own culture and others:

It will generally be found, I think, that the more a man really appreciates and admires the soul of another people the less he will attempt to imitate it; …The Englishman who has a fancy for France will try to be French; The Englishman who admires France will remain obstinately English.

Elsewhere, Chesterton noted that those who truly love their cultures are in the best position to offer constructive judgment.

The worst jingoes do not love England, but a theory of England. If we love England for being an empire, we may overrate the success with which we rule the Hindoos. But if we love it only for being a nation, we can face all events . . . A man who loves England for being English will not mind how she arose.

America is certainly not perfect, but it is refreshing to see the simple joy of World Cup fans, especially during America’s 250th year. It should remind us to protect and steward what is good about our nation, to improve what we can, and to face the complicated realities around us. Hopefully, our visitors will become better Germans, Brits, Japanese, and Swedes for having been here. And their posts could do more for diplomatic relations than anyone could have expected.

Photo Credit: ©Dole/Unsplash

John Stonestreet is President of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, and radio host of BreakPoint, a daily national radio program providing thought-provoking commentaries on current events and life issues from a biblical worldview. John holds degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (IL) and Bryan College (TN), and is the co-author of Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview.

The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of CrosswalkHeadlines.

BreakPoint is a program of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. BreakPoint commentaries offer incisive content people can't find anywhere else; content that cuts through the fog of relativism and the news cycle with truth and compassion. Founded by Chuck Colson (1931 – 2012) in 1991 as a daily radio broadcast, BreakPoint provides a Christian perspective on today's news and trends. Today, you can get it in written and a variety of audio formats: on the web, the radio, or your favorite podcast app on the go.