LUTHERAN YOUNG PEOPLE CELEBRATE ETHNIC DIVERSITY

NEW ORLEANS (ELCA) -- When it comes to sharing music and dance from various cultures, young people do it with passion, vigor and pride. About 1,500 high school age Lutherans celebrated diversity at "Festival of Cultures" -- a "trek" about ethnic communities -- offered at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Youth Gathering here July 23-27.
"This trek gives young people the opportunity to learn about different cultures by meeting international students and participating in a variety of multicultural activities," said the Rev. Sherman G. Hicks, a pastor from First Trinity Lutheran Church, Washington, D.C. Hicks hosted the trek. "The activities offered here will hopefully allow young people to gain an appreciation of people from around the world," said Hicks.
Participants interacted with students from Ethiopia, Guyana, Lithuania, Palestine, Peru, Taiwan and a half-dozen other countries. Young people sang and danced with excitement to music from countries around the world. A youth group from Puerto Rico performed a liturgical dance to celebrate "God's gift of eternal life" through popular and traditional dances from the island.
"The dancing was beautiful," said Tsedle Melake, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Bronx, New York. "This heritage brings us to the point of multiculturalism illustrated in this youth gathering," she said.
Paula Batista, Calvary Lutheran Church, Bronx, New York, said, "I am from Puerto Rico, and watching the dance made me think about how really wonderful that is. I had little butterflies in my stomach when I thought about what a great heritage I have."
"The dance taught me something about their culture, that I otherwise would not have learned because I am Jamaican," said Mario Harris, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Bronx. "Living in the Bronx, I know people from Puerto Rico but not about their heritage," he said.

Participants made crafts from different cultures like origami (Asian), tissue paper flowers (Latino), bracelets and bookmarks using print cloth (African), dream catchers and beading (American Indian) and cross-cultural crafts such as friendship bracelets using yarn, worry beads, musical instruments/noisemakers and woven place mats.

Ginger Arndt, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Wilton, Wis., made a cloth crown. "I had lots of fun creating and learning about the different ways in which people express themselves culturally," said Arndt.
Young people played the "World Game" -- a multi-media global education workshop where 200 participants are given props representing the world's resources and charged with making the world work for all of its inhabitants. Topics include international relations, economics, environment and health issues, cultural diversity and more.
Paul Simon, a former U.S. Senator from Illinois, spoke about "what it takes to be a Christian" on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. "The sincere commitment to want to help people must be there, with a factor of compassion," said Simon. "We need people who really want to help and to work hard. Sometimes, it may mean taking an unpopular stand on certain issues," he said.
Participants also heard from Charles R. Baquet III, deputy director for the U.S. Peace Corps and former U.S. Ambassador to Djibouti, and the Rev. Christopher M. Thomforde, president of Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kansas. Bethany is one of 28 colleges and universities associated with the ELCA.

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