Misc. 122: Hey, I Got My Green Card: Hallelujah!

One thing I will say.

The independent pastors in Tamil Nadu are focused.

They are quite sincere in serving God and bringing people to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. They do this for some years  with utmost diligence – until their service qualifies for an American Visa. I gather they are in a special category but I could be mistaken.

Now their sights are set on America, the new land flowing with milk and honey. (please, no aspersions on those pastors not thus diverted)

According to Wikipedia the United States is a highly developed country, and its economy accounts for approximately a quarter of global GDP and is the world’s largest by GDP at market exchange rates. By value, the United States is the world’s largest importer and second-largest exporter. Although it accounts for just over 4.2% of the world’s total population, the U.S. holds over 30% of the total wealth in the world, the largest share held by any country. The United States is a founding member and seat of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States, NATO, and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. The country makes up more than a third of global military spending, and is the foremost military power in the world and a leading political, cultural, and scientific force.

Continuing from Wikipedia, the U.S.A. is a liberal democracy and market economy; it ranks high in international measures of human rights, quality of life, income and wealth, economic competitiveness, and education; and it has low levels of perceived corruption.

Now, you really can’t fault somebody for desiring to be  a citizen of such a fabulous country.

And Indians, in increasing numbers,  want to get there too. A rather poor reflection on the state of our nation. But that is a different story.

To give you some statistics found in Google search, a Survey Overview reveals that Indian Americans are the second-largest immigrant group in the United States. According to data from the 2018 American Community Survey (ACS)—which is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau—there are 4.2 million people of Indian origin residing in the United States.

These 4.2 million people include a multitude of my cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews – so no body needs to feel uneasy (oh, you might shed a few tears for old times’ sake, that is alright) about renouncing their Indian citizenship.

Not least the pastors. (several of them are part of the multitude referred above any way)

Truth to tell, the U.S. of A. offers incomparable opportunities for high quality tertiary education in a plethora of disciplines, unrivalled environment for research, and unmatched congenial climate for bringing to fruition business ideas.

I do not know why President Trump was exultant about his campaign slogan MAGA, standing for Make America Great Again for it never did lose the top position. Perhaps because it is so close to Mega.

Small wonder then, that those of our people dissatisfied with the systems in place in our country, especially students with their future stretching before them, make the move. This of course provides tremendous business prospects for institutions like IELTS operating in the realm of screening candidates, but again that is not the subject here. I should like to make one point here though: those state governments failing to educate their students in English are impoverishing them economically, for such students take these exams at high cost and often fail miserably (please, somebody take note and act).

All of this might make you run away with the impression that America is heaven on earth. But the following Wikipedia data might slow you down a bit.

Gun violence in the United States results in tens of thousands of deaths and injuries annually, and was the leading cause of death for children 19 and younger in 2020.In 2018, the most recent year for which data are available as of 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics reports 38,390 deaths by firearm, of which 24,432 were by suicide. The rate of firearm deaths per 100,000 people rose from 10.3 per 100,000 in 1999 to 12 per 100,000 in 2017, with 109 people dying per day or about 14,542 homicides in total, being 11.9 per 100,000 in 2018. 

Alarming? The Indians at least are not deterred. Among their hordes (apologies, if you find the term pejorative), it is a paltry 5000 deaths annually. A mere 0.012 percent. Infinitesimal. Negligible. Chances are very good that you – or your children – won’t become a fatal statistic. Hmmm….. good luck to you!

(People mourning after a recent massacre at a Texas primary school; sadly one of the many such sites in that free country)

The President of the most powerful nation on earth tweets:   

(President Biden @POTUS United States government official)

“As a nation we must ask: When in God’s name will we stand up to the gun lobby? When in God’s name will we do what needs to be done? I’m sick and tired of it. We have to act.”

Well said Mr. President, but the Gun Lobby is more powerful than you. It would argue that you need a gun to kill the gunman.

The seventy two people that Jesus sent out were over the moon:¹⁷ The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” Luke 10.

You say “wow”!

While Jesus was probably satisfied as well, He didn’t share their excitement. To Him, the most important question was:

“is your name written in heaven?”

eh?

Now going back to the Green Card, I wonder if you noticed a small detail in the Wikipedia: in order to be eligible for U.S. citizenship “you should be a  person of good moral character”

I’ve seen heaven – everlasting joy – Hallelujah!

A place where millions of angels frolic, a place of spiritual ecstasies

1. Oh, the towers of the Holy City, the peak of Mount Zion reaching to the sky,
The council of elders, songs of everlasting praise of Christ Jesus ringing in
my ear

2. The expanse of the golden city, shining like a stone most precious,
The twelve foundations, the parade of royals
Walls of jasper, city of pure gold, like unto clear glass.

3. The throne of grace, the song of the Seraphims
The salvation of the world, the testimony of the saints
The Ark of the Covenant, the Lamb of God,
Ringing of bells, worshipping women

4. The river of life, the presence of Emmanuel
The One who triumphed over our sins and reigns in heaven
Trees of life on the banks of the river, celestial beings’ meeting ground

5. The host of angels, the group of apostles, the four living beings, the flock of
martyrs,
The heavenly choir, the team of musicians, four and twenty elders, and the
body of saints – oh how wonderful!

Will your name be there?