Embracing Difference

Last Friday was Culture Day at my daughter’s secondary school in SE London. Digging into my German family history (how else did I get a name like Aike?), I went to join in the festivities armed with my donation of cultural food – 35 large pretzels, freshly baked from a German supermarket chain. Arriving on time, the school hall was packed like I’ve never seen before, with students dressed in a colourful array of traditional dress from over 18 countries.

The smell of teenage excitement (and body odour) filled the air. As the evening progressed, we were treated to a fashion display, video clips of the countries represented, music and dance displays from students from Somalia, Albania, Colombia, India, Sierre Leone, Nigeria, Nepal and the Caribbean Islands to name a few. It was such a joy-filled celebration, with the audience whooping and cheering for their countries. The teenagers, dressed in traditional clothing from their countries, were so proud to have their cultural heritage celebrated.

I was particularly struck by the 3 young women from Afghanistan, spinning around in their traditional outfits, their uncovered hair flowing outwards as they danced. These girls would be banished from school in their home country. Equally moving was watching the presentation by 2 Ukrainian teenagers. As images of their beautiful country flashed across the screen from a pre-war tourist video, I couldn’t help but wonder which of these buildings might now have been obliterated by a rocket attack in the ongoing conflict with Russia. I also felt incredibly proud of this school and the amazing staff who work so hard to create a cohesive community, able to celebrate the diversity in their midst. I came away thinking that there’s so much our churches can learn from schools and their vibrant young people!