Thoughts on Diversity

Diversity in humans is a part of God’s ultimate plan. God has created us all in His image, and this diversity of creation reflects the various aspects of God. Living as a child of God, and as a follower of Christ, there are many aspects of diversity of which I have to be cognizant. Notably, all ethnic groups on this planet have some degree of ethnocentricity. This defines people as “us” and “them.” While we might want to dissolve these distinctions, it is important to realize that perhaps we should not be so hasty to cast aside our ethnicity in favor of an amorphous “melting pot.” God has created each of us, placed us in the time and place where we live, and has called us to be His people. God also created us to be different and individual in our expressions and understandings—of ourselves, and of God. As Randy Woodley writes, “Perhaps through many perspectives, people would then cherish His vastness and His purposes for unity within His great diversity. The ‘bigness’ of God has something to do with how we perceive him” (Living in Color, 29).

Identity is an important concept. It is how we define ourselves—we are a part of something. We receive our identity through birth, marriage, or adoption. As a part of God’s plan we can find identity in our families and cultures, but we also can find identity in our adoption as the children of God through Jesus Christ. Understanding this adoption can be difficult, and convincing others that they can be adopted into this family of God is our task as followers of Christ. By celebrating diversity of culture, and finding unity in the family of God amid this diversity is the key to effective intercultural ministry.