New pages have recently been added to PW33's website including Advocacy and Action and as of today Cultural Traditions. This latest page has been created in response to the riots here in England following the tragic murder of three young girls attending a summer holiday dance club activity in Southport, Merseyside. Far-right extremists took the opportunity to twist this tragic event to act out their racist hatred towards immigrant groups by starting riots in numerous cities and towns. They wrongly assumed that the attacker at Southport was a Muslim and the Mosque at Southport came under attack as a result of that suspicion. There were so many thugs who didn't care a bit as to who was responsible for the killings, they just wanted an excuse to collectively cause public unrest, violence and damage to public property. The recent change of government with Labour in as the majority party has more than likely added fuel to the anger of the far-right protesters. The reason for this is due to Prime Minister Keir Starmer declaring on his first day in office the scrapping of the controversial Rwanda illegal immigration bill.
The killings and rioting started a month ago and around the same time I had a vision and dream regarding the sharing of experiences between people from many different countries and lands in friendly community gatherings. The name Cultural Traditions kept coming to me repeatedly, was this to be a friendship club that I would be a part of, or was I the one to start this project?
Please join me in discovering more of how this project might advance by visiting PW33's Cultural Traditions page. Thank you.
The following is from PW33's Cultural Traditions page.
During the end of July and the beginning of August 2024 I had a vision and a dream of a number of club meetings and events between people from different cultures and traditions. These were joyous occasions where everyone involved benefited in learning from each other through Music, Dance, Arts and crafts, poetry and storytelling. I think this came to me in part at least following a family celebration at an engagement party where the happy couple came originally from two very different African countries, each having their own distinct customs and traditions. The Groom to be is from Nigeria in West Africa and the Bride to be from Uganda in East Africa. It was a joyous occasion and we enjoyed the exchange of different African culture between the two families.
My own wife is from Uganda and our three children are of mixed race, between my wife and myself we know many people where we live from different ethnic backgrounds. For this reason I can see how we could be involved in starting a friendship club, even if we all met just once a month it could add value to many peoples lives. I would be hopeful that any such venture would ease any tensions that exist with those in the community who, if not racist as such, are nonetheless mistrusting of outsiders who have come to live in their neighborhood.
A friendship club where all respect each others background, faith and religion is what I would imagine. From a Christian point of view, yes of course I would love to share the good news of Jesus to all, but wisdom and discernment is needed here. First and foremost there is need to build up friendships, and then in time speak individually to people on matters of faith.
The alternative would be to look at starting up a club within our local churches where the diversity of culture is viewed entirely through a Christian perspective. The traditions of music and dance from different countries being celebrated as a vital part of Christian worship. This reminds me of the incredible work of Feba Radio, when I first became a Christian I remember purchasing a FEBA cassette tape that I played constantly of various artists from different countries. I loved the variety of gospel songs and hymns in many languages sung and played on all sorts of different musical instruments. The work of FEBA is to evangelise to nations that oppose the spread of Christianity by broadcasting outside those nations from safe neighboring countries.
Cultural Traditions may have started out as a vision and dream but presently I am not getting much confirmation from the Lord as to how involved I should be. It's not that I am looking for something to do as I have plenty of other projects going on at the moment, all of which I have felt led by the Lord to do but how much more can I take on without spreading myself too thinly? In the vision for Cultural Traditions perhaps I have been looking into something that is for someone else to spearhead and for me to have more of a back seat involvement with?
Please pray for me over this matter, that I don't miss what the Lord wants of me concerning this potential outreach. Thank you. Any suggestions please contact me at: theo@prayerwatch33.org
