CELEBRATE DIVERSITY MONTH
April 2024
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” – Matthew 25:35
April is deemed the month to celebrate diversity, which means more than recognizing different cultures and ethnicities. It's about understanding and appreciating the variety of people we encounter in our world. Celebrate Diversity Month is dedicated to gaining new perspectives on the lives of others around us and growing a greater sense of respect. Sit for a while in your local park, or just take a walk in your neighborhood. Who’s around? What languages do you hear being spoken? Here are a few other suggestions for celebrating diversity:
Take a culinary stretch. Try a new recipe from another part of the world, or go eat at an authentic ethnic restaurant you’ve never tried. India Palace on Vinewood Lane in Plymouth is a great place to expand your horizons, or Keng’s Chow Mein on 42nd Avenue in Crystal offers authentic Cantonese dishes. Another local favorite is Los Sanchez on Bass Lake Road for true Mexican cuisine (Taco Bell does not count). Afro-Deli on Riverside Avenue in Minneapolis, just up the road from Augsburg University, offers a delicious taste of East Africa. At each of these venues you’ll encounter fabulous food as well as people of those ethnic traditions who own, operate and serve in these establishments, in addition to their local clientele.
Watch a movie or documentary that immerses you in a different way of life. You might try 12 Years A Slave, a movie adaptation of Solomon Northup’s memoir written in 1853. Or Milk, the story of the first openly gay person elected to public office in California and a human rights activist. A few others to pique your interest include The Imitation Game, Hale, Wonder, One Night in Miami, and The Yellow Rose. Maybe you have some suggestions for me!
- In Christ, Deacon Kirsten Kessel