From Ashley Danyew:
"Multiculturalism isn't something we often talk about in church settings, right? Let's be honest:
"Most congregations tend to sing the hymns they know from their hymnal.
"And most choirs tend to sing music they are comfortable with, in a language they speak, and in a musical style that is familiar and accessible to them.
"We're drawn to what we know and what's familiar to us, and that's completely natural.
"The problem? We may miss opportunities to learn about people from other cultures, races, and ethnicities. We may miss opportunities to connect with the global church - our own denomination, sometimes. We may miss opportunities to connect with other churches, right in our community, that serve a different population.
"If you agree, I invite you to consider ways you might able to develop and embrace multiculturalism in your church community. With the state of our country and our world right now, we need things that bring us together. Things that bridge the divide so many of us feel in our neighborhoods and cities and communities. We need to do what we can to learn about people who are different from us, to become aware, to notice, to include."