Their story . . . our story . . . is HIS-tory!

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

(Traditional Irish Blessing)

As you ponder this olde Irish blessing it is my prayer that you come to understand and respect the traditions of other people groups and their culture along with their faith in our God. It is not against the bible to embrace one's culture. Since the beginnings of man, God has allowed man to live out his faith in his world view. In fact, He encourages us to be a bit different yet still one faith since back in Genesis when He seperated man and caused us to scatter.

So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.

(Genesis 11:8)

Tradition and God can and do go hand in hand. The problem comes when the tradition overtakes the truths of the Bible and we become focused on "us" and not God. Many ethnic groups from every corner of the earth boast of proud histories: noble African kings and queens, courageous Spanish explorers, proud Irish immigrant farmers, and the list goes on . . . Many tell the stories of how God guided them through, fought for their freedom, and held them together through many situations of struggle.

Their story . . . our story . . . is HIS-tory!

Embrace your culture, but do not allow it to overshadow God's role> God is above all culture. He has allowed us to be so diverse to bring Him glory in such a beautiful way! Their is beauty and unity in the diversity of His people. Enjoy it . . . embrace it . . . live it out all to His glory! (Revelation 7:9-10)