Ponderings

25,000 Americans, less 250 evacuees, are still stranded in Lebanon and waiting by the phone for the American Embassy to call. Actually only a few thousand of the 25,000 have actually asked to leave. As a St. Louisan I’ve been watching for news of the evacuees because Fr. Biondi is stranded there. Biondi is the leader of St. Louis University, a Jesuit, and one of the rare priests that can stand up to arch conservative Bishop Raymond Burke. There is no news again today from Biondi at stltoday.com. I pray that he is safe, we need him here.

But Biondi is one of an estimated 25,000 Americans in Lebanon. How in the world did we get 25,000 Americans in Lebanon? Lebanon is a tiny little country, smaller than Connecticut. Lebanon has about 10 thousand sq kilometers compared to Missouri’s 180. So how do 25,000 Americans find there way to this small country in a hot spot of the world?

One family headlining in CNN is in Lebanon on holiday, but it’s a family visit not a National Geographic tour. Lebanon is hardly a tourist mecca. Biondi is there on business (altruistic god-related business, but business nonetheless). That accounts for about 10 if you count both entourages, who are the other 24,990?

That’s alot of people on vacation. Or???