The Awakening---speech contest script

Spring, it is the best time of the year. It is a season of sunshine and flowers and joy. After the longest winter I’ve ever had of my life, I finally see a tint of verdure popping out the ground. All the life here is enjoying the spring awakening. Time flies. It's time again to say goodbye.

Clearly I remember 9 months ago when I first stepped on this land, I stood in the crowd in the Minneapolis airport, excited to have breathed the first breath of fresh air of this country. “Welcome to Heaven.” I got the message from my friend. The scene had already been played in my dreams time and time again and the excitement overwhelmed all the fear. Here I am, America, a country that bears the name of freedom, advance and power.

Also I remember 8 months ago, for the first time I heard the serious argument about politics over the radio hot-line program. For the first time, I saw the Christian fellowship be part of the school activity so explicitly; for the first time I joined a church with over 100 people and for the first time I experienced a retreat of thousands of people shouting Jesus and Hallelujah. This is a country not afraid of speaking about politics, parties and God.

Then 4 months ago, standing in the crossroad of Time square, New York, I watched people passing by, with or without facial expression, some with the shining mink coat and some with dirty cloth that narrowly covered their body. I was shocked by my familiarity to this scene, as if I was standing on the street of Shanghai. Suddenly I was awakened from my dream: America is not heaven. I started to wonder: among them how many knows where they are from and where they are going? How many still hold a rest place of their spirit and soul? How many of them value the words carved on the money more than the money? And how many still have the courage and confidence declaring that “in God we trust” as they did hundreds years ago when this nation of power was established?

I was fully awakened from my dream: America is not heaven and no country on this earth can be heaven. As a result, between here and the place I come from there seems no difference to be excited about.

Just several hours ago, I rested my body on the sofa of the Williams Library with books on my lap. The sun comes out after a brief drizzle. The sky was dyed by the Great Creator. I know that’s the very thing I will definitely miss when I go back.

However, when I found myself more than reconciled to this placidity, I asked myself: If you can enjoy these beautiful painting everyday, are you still be touched by heart every time, standing in awe of the greatness of the creator? If you can see the Milky Way everyday, are you still moved to tears and gain more awe and gratefulness of the wonder and beauty of God? And you see recent catastrophe stoke again and again in other parts of the world, are you still be able to kneel down to pray for God’s mercy though it seem so far away from this peaceful place. If one of the answers to these questions could be no, I would rather go back and stay away from this beautiful home for me, in case the evil part of me turns a blind eye to all the things God has done. I’d rather be awakening, for it’s already spring.