Sharing pumpkins... and culture!

That familiar chill is in the air!  The leaves are changing colors, even here in Northern Ireland.  They don't put on the same brilliant display as they do in the eastern woodlands of America, but they are changing all the same.  "Autumn" in Northern Ireland doesn't look or feel the same as "fall" in Michigan, but a few things carry over.  I tire myself out trying to explain the full glory of a Michigan fall to Robert (and anyone else who will listen).  It is one of my favorite times of the year at home!  Most people just humor me, but have no idea of all the wonders they are missing out on:  apple picking, spiced apple cider, pumpkin patches, brilliant fall leaves that look as if a paintbox of orange yellow and red have been spilt onto the landscape, the smell of pumpkin pie spices, the anticipation of Thanksgiving Day, the list goes on and on!

Recently, I had an opportunity to share a little taste of my version of fall with my friends at the Globe Cafe, a weekly meeting of local and international people in East Belfast that is sponsored by a group of churches in the area.  We held an event to celebrate fall called "Apples, and Pumpkins, and Sweets, Oh My!"  I can't tell you how wonderful it was to share a taste of home with my friends from around the world.  We had pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, spiced apple cider (the American version), sour cream apple crumble cake, and toasted pumpkin seeds!  There was a pumpkin carving contest and a brief lesson in the finer points of carving a pumpkin.  We were also able to do a similar event with our Chinese friends in ESL class.

I hope that the people who came to these events were as blessed as I was.  There is something so affirming and so powerful about being able to share a part of your culture with others who are willing to embrace and accept it. The North America traditions of fall are so dear to my heart, they hold the memories of my childhood, my family, my community... so many of the things that I hold dear are wrapped up with my cultural traditions.  They are more than just nice activities for me, they are part of my identity, and have helped to shape me into the person that I am today.  Being able to share those precious parts of my culture with friends from China, Poland, Spain, Germany, Northern Ireland, and beyond and watching them enjoy, participate, and embrace those traditions with joy was one of the most profound experiences I've had.

I am so challenged to pass the feeling of acceptance and affirmation I experienced this last few weeks on to my other international friends.  I am reminded again how important it is to really listen to my friends as they share parts of their culture, and their life, that are precious to them and form a large part of who they have been and who they are becoming.  I want people to feel accepted and affirmed after being with me.  I want to give people the opportunity to share their culture with me, to learn from it and enjoy and appreciate it as a glimpse into the hearts of my friends.

I have a rich (although not perfect) cultural heritage as an American, which I am very proud of.  But I also have a rich (although not perfect) cultural heritage as a Christian.  I should be just as eager to share my Christian culture with my friends as I am to share my American heritage.  And equally, I should be respectful and sensitive as I share my faith to the variety of other beliefs that my friends hold. I want to learn more and more how to share the Truth, but to do so in a loving, compassionate way.  When I think of how much joy I experienced at seeing people accept and embrace my fall traditions, I can only imagine the rejoicing and celebrating going on in Heaven when someone accepts and embraces the gospel of Jesus Christ.  How it must thrill God's heart when one of his children accepts his gift of salvation through Jesus!

I'm so thankful that I was able to share a taste of North American fall with my friends this year!  And I pray that in God's time, as He opens doors, I will be able to share the Good News of Jesus with them as well!