I enjoy going to the local farmers market and have learned a thing or two in my observations. I’ve learned that we are creatures of habit by nature. If we shop at a farmers market, we will likely go to the same aisles, pick up the same food items, and spend the same amount of time as in our previous visits. (Do I have a witness out there?) But imagine if, instead of going the same route, we tried new aisles, new fruits and vegetables, and new dishes that are strange and exotic to us? Imagine taking the time to discover the taste of various cultures represented at the market and learning how to cook and eat new dishes. Imagine the burst of flavors that would impact our taste buds and the excitement we would have when we discover that the foods we passed and ignored all this time were actually very good. Imagine how much we would grow in cultural awareness and appreciation.

The farmers market reminds us that the world is more varied and extensive than our limited exposure. Just because we don’t explore other aisles doesn’t mean the products and cultures are irrelevant. They are just as relevant as your own. Walking around and viewing each aisle can bring a sense of humility when you realize how little we know. The world we live in today is a global village where we engage unfamiliar cultures through social media and migration. We can choose to walk the same aisles that we have always walked before and pretend the other cultures don’t exist, or we can learn to mingle and explore how limited our understanding is of the world around us. The world is like a farmers market where God expects us to love and appreciate each other and learn of the distinctive attributes He has planted within us. In many ways, we have been walking through this farmers market all our lives and have often stayed on the familiar path, yet the Owner of this market wants us to explore and appreciate all of His Creation, including all its aisles. Let’s make the time.