I am blessed to attend a church that is truly multicultural. We are one in Christ, but we can also recognize and appreciate our diversity.

Perhaps that is why I found this article so interesting and challenging at the same time. Check out an excerpt:

"...the focus groups showed that black and Hispanic girls were downright cool to the idea of 'love' in a romantic relationship. Girls 'felt that if respect, loyalty and trust were present, then that would amount to love,' the researchers wrote. The girls 'rarely' even brought up the idea of love."

Let's check out another result of this study:

"Girls felt they had it good if their boyfriends didn't cheat and didn't call them names, put them down or speak disrespectfully to them."

Perhaps it's just me, but this sounds an awful lot like "settling" to me. The foundation for a good relationship is not just the absence of bad/harmful behavior. There has to be a thread of unconditional love.

The columnist goes on to provide a suggestion for what is missing in a teen girl's view development regarding love:

"What they lack are living examples - adult role models for healthy love relationships in their homes, their neighborhoods, their schools and communities, and in their mass media."

I certainly think that hits the nail on the head, leaving us with a challenge to be those living examples in these girls' lives.

Some Things to Consider:

• What role do you think race/ethnicity places in a girl's perception of relationships?
• What do you think about the girls belief that respect, loyalty, and trust amounts to love?
• Share your thoughts about the following quote:"Girls felt they had it good if their boyfriends didn't cheat and didn't call them names, put them down or speak disrespectfully to them."
• What positive role models currently exist in your community? How can you connect them to the girls in your church and community?