Blog #6- Lutherans and Catholics

     Okay I will be the first to admit, my youth was never very filled with having to be in many intercultural relationships. I grew up in a place where a large majority of the community was white, straight, of a pretty level social class, and a large portion who were Catholics. Myself I fit into all those categories. When coming to UNL for college, some people could say that the population of students isn't all that diverse compared to other places in the country, and that maybe true, but for this Iowa country girl it was a few steps away from what I was used to. Some of my first friends I made at UNL were Kelly and Ellie. They had grown up together and had known each other forever, they had went to the same Lutheran school and church for most of their youth. I on the other hand had attended Catholic school, was involved in most church youth events in my county, and attended church every weekend with most of my extended family.

      Growing up there was really nothing in my life that made me think "why am I Catholic?". That changed when I came to college and some of my best friends were of a different religion. It made me question why I am who I am. Did I want to be Catholic for me or was it just expected of me? This questioning of myself was a huge benefit I found of having this intercultural relationship with my Lutheran friends. On the other hand after some self reflection, I did realize that I want to truly follow the Catholic faith not for my family, but for myself and my beliefs. Once I came to that conclusion, I was able to have some pretty "spirited" discussions with my friends about religious differences. The challenges of combating which religion made prettier churches or which one had to eat fish on Fridays during Lent, etc.

     One of the dialectics that I believe fit this example of intercultural relationship in my life is differences-similarities. Outside of religion; Kelly, Ellie, and I had a lot of things in common. We all grew up on farms, were ag majors, and LOVED Nebraska football! And you could also argue that since our religions are both of Christian base that they aren't that different. But for anyone who has experienced either religion you can tell that there are plenty of things that make each one unique and different.

     Another dialectic that  I believe fits the intercultural relationship I have with my Lutheran friends is static-dynamic. The static-dynamic dialectic "suggests that people and relationships are constantly in flux" (Martin & Nakayama, 2012, pp. 400). Although Kelly, Ellie, and I have stayed friends throughout college, our "closeness" depended on multiple things. We were roommates for a year together, some semesters we would have classes together and other times we wouldn't, and now that we are all getting ready to graduate we are starting to head off in different directions. I believe that relationships are constantly changing and ours is no different.

     In my final weeks here at UNL I am starting to look back on all the things I have learned, the people I have met, and the memories I have made in the past four years. I am grateful for the differences and similarities between my friends and classmates because of our different backgrounds and cultures. They have all taught me so much about myself and I am truly grateful. Cheesy lines I know, but being a senior will do that to you.

So in closing how about some Ryan Gosling "Hey Girl" Catholic humor style!

Refrences

Catholic Fish Picture. Retrieved April 11, 2013, from: http://media-cache-ec5.pinterest.com/originals/88/e1/67/88e167ed992281cfb24400dcc91e5e69.jpg

 

Martin, J. N., & Nakayama, T. K. (2012). Intercultural communication in contexts (6th ed). Boston,   MA: McGraw Hill.

Roamin Nun Meme. Retrieved April 11, 2013, from: http://catholicmemes.tumblr.com/post/22134454722

 

Ryan Gosling Hey Girl Picture. Retrieved April 11, 2013, from:
http://catholicryangosling.tumblr.com/