Storytelling and Photography School Students

Posted on | October 3, 2009 | 1 Comment

We sat in the back of the first worship meeting for the new class of storytelling and photography students.

They were all asked to stand up and share their names, where they are from, and what they hoped to gain out of the school. One student after another introduced themselves. A few students were from the States. But the majority of students came from Africa (Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Kenya) and Asia (Korea, Philippines).

I was struck with two things during worship. The first was the beauty of hearing God’s young people from around the world worship together. The second – a less spiritual observation – how similar they dressed.

Actually, I joked with Kara that they dressed better than we did in our early 20′s.

Hair cuts, T-shirts, and torn jeans made them visually like one group. I guess why I mention this is my on-going amazement at the global culture developing because of globally shared ideas via media and internet.

It is possible for these students from three different continents to choose similar dress styles, because manufacturing is globalized, style and fashion opinion is globalized through media, and ideas of youth and youth culture are globalized. A Korean student doesn’t grow up only influenced by Korea. Nor a U.S. student by just the U.S.

There is so much cross media and thought sharing that I felt like I was looking at a room full of world youth, not just a list of represented countries.

I feel this is a new era … one never possible before the internet.

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