Connections-+Jordan,+Jenna,+and+Cassandra


 * //-Connections-// **

B y //Jordan, Jenna, and Cassandra//



//Jenna//~

This book taught me a lot about not only my own identity but also what it is to have an American Identity. I now have a better understanding of immigration and view it in a completely different way than I have in the past. We have to treat everyone the same. Who cares that they come from different backgrounds or other countries? We need to love everyone just as Christ loved us. Most immigrants come to America seeking a better life. It is our job as Christians to treat them with respect and love. Verses from the Bible like [|Leviticus 19:33-34]and [|Exodus 23:9] show Christians the importance of welcoming those from foreign lands and loving them as we love ourselves. It is also important that we take the time to learn about other cultures and where people come from. This will help us to be more approachable and to be on a more personal level with those who come from different parts of the world.



//Cassandra//~

The book Who Are We? by Samuel Huntington as well as the other articles we have read for our class have given me more awareness to the struggles which people of other backgrounds and ethnicities than myself may have. I have learned that it is important to be aware of and embrace the differences between myself and someone who may have a different culture from my own. Isaiah 58:10-11 is a verse which recently stood out to me when I considered the struggles that some immigrants have here in America when it comes to their day-to-day lives. It says, “…and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” I love Jesus!



//Jordan~//

After reading “Who Are We?” and the various other articles, I really gained an appreciation for not only my culture, but also the cultures of others. It is fascinating to look at the American culture that I have been engrossed in for my entire life in a new and different perspective. There is more to the world than just where I am right now. There are millions of people who are not like me, yet we are still similar in so many ways. I realized this especially after taking out trip to Chicago, as I was exposed to cultures and religions that I had never experienced before. After learning about the cultures, I realized that I have a strong desire to discover more about and understand different cultures and religions than my own, particularly Jewish and Muslim cultures. The differences between these religions has piqued my interest and encouraged me to look into both religions and discover more about their core beliefs and values. This has also stirred a desire within me to achieve the challenge presented in Mark 16:15, which says, “go into the world and preach the gospel to every living creature.” Additionally, these readings and experiences have helped me see that America and Americans are comprised of more than just others like me: we are essentially an assortment of different colors, languages, religions, cultures, and ethnicities that have all come together to make a beautiful mosaic that we call the United States of America.

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