Posts tagged ‘embracing your own culture’
Don’t abandon your own culture, embrace it.
A good friend of mine, Nikki Lerner, called me today and left a voicemail with an excited tone saying, “Call me, I have a funny story for you.”
Being the curious person that I am I called her back right away. She wanted to tell me that her church was planning on doing this song by Steven Curtis Chapman called The Walk. Now, I haven’t listened to his music in awhile, but apparently this song is kind of country-ish.
Nikki thought it would be a perfect song for one of her guitar players to sing and lead on. Well, he came back saying that the song had, more or less, brought up some complications. Basically, he felt that he sounded too white.
Being an observant person that Nikki is, she pointed out that her guitar player was indeed white. He responded by saying, “But, I’m black on the inside.”
…..You know, as we start to become more intentionally immersed in other people’s cultures we may feel the need to abandon our own culture. Maybe the grass seems greener on the other side. I don’t know.
When I sang at my sister-in-law’s wedding a few years ago she asked me to sing a Rascal Flatts song. (They’re a popular country band with a lead singer who always seems to sing beyond my range.)
Anyways, my sister-in-law Erin didn’t want me to try and sing it in the country style. She wanted me to sing it in my own style.
Why? I’m guess that what was important to her were the lyrics of the song and that I be authentic to who I am. I can’t change who I am. I can’t change where I was born. I’m grateful for how God made me.
To be honest, it took me a long time to embrace how God made me because I didn’t quite understand who God made me. And this is not uncommon. A lot of people I know still don’t know who God made them to be. It’s an intentional process we need to be on.
At the same time, once I understood who I was it made it so much easier to fully appreciate how God made other people….whether they are Chinese, Hmong, Black, White, guitar player, vocalist, preacher, etc.
Lesson: Learn to appreciate how God created you while you learn to appreciate other cultures.
Share your story and your life…
Sincerely,
Peter Park
Blogger/Worship Leader/Speaker
peterpark@redemptionboulevard.com
(800) 453-3284
© 2010, Peter Park. All rights reserved.
Don't abandon your own culture, embrace it.
A good friend of mine, Nikki Lerner, called me today and left a voicemail with an excited tone saying, “Call me, I have a funny story for you.”
Being the curious person that I am I called her back right away. She wanted to tell me that her church was planning on doing this song by Steven Curtis Chapman called The Walk. Now, I haven’t listened to his music in awhile, but apparently this song is kind of country-ish.
Nikki thought it would be a perfect song for one of her guitar players to sing and lead on. Well, he came back saying that the song had, more or less, brought up some complications. Basically, he felt that he sounded too white.
Being an observant person that Nikki is, she pointed out that her guitar player was indeed white. He responded by saying, “But, I’m black on the inside.”
…..You know, as we start to become more intentionally immersed in other people’s cultures we may feel the need to abandon our own culture. Maybe the grass seems greener on the other side. I don’t know.
When I sang at my sister-in-law’s wedding a few years ago she asked me to sing a Rascal Flatts song. (They’re a popular country band with a lead singer who always seems to sing beyond my range.)
Anyways, my sister-in-law Erin didn’t want me to try and sing it in the country style. She wanted me to sing it in my own style.
Why? I’m guess that what was important to her were the lyrics of the song and that I be authentic to who I am. I can’t change who I am. I can’t change where I was born. I’m grateful for how God made me.
To be honest, it took me a long time to embrace how God made me because I didn’t quite understand who God made me. And this is not uncommon. A lot of people I know still don’t know who God made them to be. It’s an intentional process we need to be on.
At the same time, once I understood who I was it made it so much easier to fully appreciate how God made other people….whether they are Chinese, Hmong, Black, White, guitar player, vocalist, preacher, etc.
Lesson: Learn to appreciate how God created you while you learn to appreciate other cultures.
Share your story and your life…
Sincerely,
Peter Park
Blogger/Worship Leader/Speaker
peterpark@redemptionboulevard.com
(800) 453-3284
© 2010, Peter Park. All rights reserved.