Diversity. Let’s be honest: for many Christians, this no longer seems like a good concept. We’ve been told that we must accept the beliefs of others, even though we don’t necessarily agree with them. This doesn’t work well with the teachings of Jesus, who said he is the way, the truth and the life and no one can come to the Father except through him. In a culture where nothing is absolute, that message puts us in the precarious position of striving to show love to people while not always accepting their way of life.
I would like to offer a starting point on this journey. You see, we are taught that those who don’t believe will know that Jesus is who he claimed to be when they see that we are unified. In fact, that statement is part of Christ’s prayer for us in John 17. Yes, Jesus prayed for unity among his followers.
What I’ve discovered is that unity is magnified when diversity is present. It’s easy to be unified when the people around us are just like us. When we all share the same preferences, there’s not much that can come between us. But what about when we are around those who disagree with our preferences? How do we handle that? It’s then that our unity is truly tested, and it’s then that it has a chance to shine.
I was reading from Isaiah this week, and these verses jumped off the page.
“I will also bless the foreigners who commit themselves to the LORD, who serve him and love his name, who worship him and do not desecrate the Sabbath day of rest, and who hold fast to my covenant. I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer. I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices, because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations. For the Sovereign LORD, who brings back the outcasts of Israel, says: I will bring others, too, besides my people Israel.” (Isaiah 56:6–8, NLT)
God sent a message to His chosen people that there would be a day when other nations would be welcomed into the fold. That happened when Jesus established the church and God sent Jewish believers to Gentiles (non-Jews) who then chose to follow Christ. At that point, the church became more diverse and it’s been moving in that direction for about 2,000 years. In fact, that’s the goal: reaching people from all nations means an increased level of diversity. Yes, we share the same basic beliefs. But our preferences can be drastically different. And when we set those preferences aside, the world sees a unity that can only come from God. It’s supernatural. But this only happens when we surrender to God and ask Him to help us put others before ourselves.
This is where we start. We embrace diversity within the church. If the Bible does not specifically address an issue, we don’t make it an issue. In other words, where there is freedom, we allow for freedom. And we must ask God to examine us. Is there something that’s keeping us from embracing another believer who doesn’t’ share our preferences? When we ask God to help us, He will point it out and then guide us to let it go.
Diversity. It’s not such a bad concept, after all.
Dan Londeree 