Go Beyond

It should come as no surprise that I enjoy watching The Amazing Race — the television reality show in which teams of two people race around the world in an effort to win one-million dollars. As the teams travel from place to place, they must complete a series of challenges based upon activities associated with the particular country they are in. Teams are given an x-amount of money for each leg of the race and must navigate using clues that are sometimes cryptic. The teams are generally on equal-footing in that they usually have little or no previous travel experience. That alone makes the race amazing and challenging for some contestants. And, as with other reality programs, each season has its heroes, folks who make us laugh, people we love to hate, under-dogs and dark horses. This season is no exception.

As someone who enjoys travel and being among the peoples of the world, this is must-see television for me. I stopped watching the Travel Channel years ago when their programming shifted from the good Lonely Planet-type of programs to Las Vegas and more Las Vegas and still more Las Vegas-type of programming. When I am not traveling, I like watching programs about travel, the history of places, what life is like for peoples of the world, and anything that can give me a little more insight into the nations. And, I enjoy seeing unseasoned travelers experience the nations for the first time. A few seasons ago one contestant who was deaf wept when traveling through an impoverished country. He had never seen that kind of poverty. And, on the other end of the spectrum, Sunday night’s episode gave us some memorable moments. One contestant remarked: “This is the first time I’ve ever even heard of Stonehenge and then I found out it was a bunch of rocks.” And, at the end of the program when she and her team-mate checked in to the pit stop, Phil, the host, asked: “What country are we in?” Vicki thought for a moment and replied, “We’re in London, Phil.” With tongue in check, Phil replied, “That’s right, the country of London.”

You may or may not be a fan of The Amazing Race. If you have never watched it, I encourage you to tune in to at least one episode. Here are a few of the reasons why I enjoy watching The Amazing Race.

A = Awareness | One of the good things about the race is that it creates much-needed awareness of the fact that there are many fantastic places on the planet. And, each episode introduces viewers to the fascinating people who live in those places and offers a brief glimpse of what life is like for them.

M = Maps | Every episode features a brief look at a map to show the route teams must travel to get from one place to the other. In a day when many people are geographically-challenged, it’s good to look at a map, even if for a moment, to get some basic orientation to where countries fit in the global jigsaw puzzle. And, team members must often rely on maps to navigate from one challenge to the next. It’s good for people to interact with maps.

A = Amusing | The Amazing Race certainly has its share of amusing moments as contestants try to accomplish tasks that generally come easy to the locals. Things are not always as easy to do as it seems. I have tried doing some of the things that people in the places I visit do only to stumble or fail miserably enough to amuse the locals. Laughing at ourselves is not a bad thing.

Z = Zestful | Okay, it’s not easy coming up with a word that begins with the letter “Z” but I like the word “zestful” because it means “characterized by hearty enjoyment.” When I watch The Amazing Race, I especially enjoy the teams that appreciate and heartily enjoy the peoples and embrace the cultures of the places they visit. The Amazing Race is a refreshing balance to the many ugly things about people and places that are so often reported in the evening news.

I = Informative | The Amazing Race often takes teams to World Heritage Sites and offers a brief description of each site or particular location. For those who are even remotely curious about places they have never visited, each episode offers just enough information to pique interest in doing a Google search in order to learn more about those places.

N = Negotiation | Contestants on The Amazing Race must learn to negotiate or bargain with other teams and with locals in order to stay in the race. Whether forming temporary alliances with other teams or bargaining with cab drivers to get them to their next location ahead of the others, the art of negotiation is important. It’s fun to watch but also a reminder that it’s often hard to get around in other places without the help and cooperation of locals.

G = Go | I am reminded of why I love to go to the nations every time I watch The Amazing Race. Mark Twain said, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness — all foes to real understanding. Likewise, tolerance, or broad, wholesome charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in our little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” I know that not everyone can travel to the exotic locations featured on shows like The Amazing Race. However, through travel programs like The Amazing Race, we can allow God to open our eyes to the beauty of our world and to the wonderful people who call our planet home.