Due to recent travel, I experienced a radical change in weather, escaping a massive winter storm barreling down on the US east coast, to the welcoming, warm, tropical temperatures of the Caribbean. I ventured to my dad’s garden and had some delicious coconut water along with the meat inside his coconuts, picked right from the tree. This garden is a diverse and impressive blend of vegetation, ranging from tall coconut trees to running pumpkin vines and everything else in between.
Our world was designed and created with incredible diversity – of climates, vegetation, animals, and, most importantly, people. Sadly, however, despite the natural and beautiful diversity that exists, we seem to have the most difficulty embracing and adjusting to the diversity of people. Institutions, communities, countries, and even churches are struggling to welcome and embrace people who do not look like us, speak like us, or think like us. Prejudices abound because of unfamiliarity, stereotypes, preconceived notions, and pushed narratives, leading to fear, isolation, and hatred.
The reality is that as people, created in the image of God, we are more alike than we are different. Our DNA, the very blueprint from which we exist, proves this. Our intellect, emotion, and will cause us to respond in remarkably similar ways depending on what we have been exposed to.
God, in his divine wisdom, chose to make us diverse in physical appearance. But this is one very minor aspect of our makeup. What causes us to exhibit differences in behavior and thought are primarily our environment and our experiences. And these have shaped our expectations and perspectives, the way we view life. Ultimately, our perspectives are tarnished by a sinful nature and must be transformed and reshaped by the Word of God.
So, rather than focus on our differences as a reason to divide us, we ought to
- Recognize our similarities
- Appreciate our differences, and
- Utilize our strengths to make us collectively better.
Jesus addressed the vice of prejudice head-on when he decided to walk through Samaria, where he spoke to a Samaritan woman. Samaritans were despised by the Jews and seen as half-breeds. His conversation with her shocked her and his disciples. But it brought about transformation and healing to many.
Our true identity is not based on skin colour, hair texture, a birth certificate, a passport, our bank account, or an accent. Our essence is who we are in our hearts.
Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
Let’s see people the way God sees us and appreciate our diversity.