This past Sunday, we celebrated Pentecost. It is the birth of the Christian church. In Acts, it was recorded this way.
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1-4)
Before this, the Jewish people were almost an exclusive club for following God, and they did not have the same respect for the Gentiles. But when Jesus came, He came for ALL people. Not just the Jews. Here lies a problem. How can the disciples share the Good News of Jesus Christ and His resurrection with the world if they do not speak the languages of others? Problem solved. When the Holy Spirit was given to them that day, they were given the gift of speaking in tongue. They could now share the Gospel with all. This brings unity to all people, regardless of their heritage.
I have been pondering this thought for the past couple of days and trying to see how we apply this to our times. Of course, there was much diversity in people back then as there is today. I can only assume that the Jews back then, by today’s standards, would probably be called racist.
What do you think of when someone mentions diversity? Most people think about a person’s race. I want you to take another approach to it. Diversity is much more than race. Everyone is as unique as snowflakes. We all have different traits as well as our appearance. Every organization needs diversity to be successful. If everyone thought the same way, performed the same way, and approached every situation the same way, the organization would become stagnant.
Just as a human body has a wide range of parts that all do different functions, an organization needs the same thing. So, we do a management assessment with my company to see how we match up with the other managers. It is an exciting combination of personalities, approaches, management styles, and strengths that make up our team. Some are more natural leaders, while others are more natural finishers of projects. Some are better coaches, and some are better at analyzing things. The more we learn to integrate these diversities into our team, the more successful we will be. God has given all of us our gifts and talents for a purpose. This part of scripture sums it up nicely.
Romans 12:4-8 English Standard Version (ESV)
For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
Please do not decide to exclude someone from your team or organization because they are different. Embrace their unique qualities. It may be just the thing that your organization needs to grow stronger. Let others embrace their uniqueness and what they can bring.
If we embrace the uniqueness of others, we will be a more unified nation. I am all for that, are you?
Thomas, I’m definitely in favor of organizations that embrace diversity. As an individual with physical disabilities, I’m thankful to be an employee of a company that doesn’t discriminate based on disability status. I’m also grateful to be a member of a diverse church. It hosts an annual event called the Taste of Grace (a spinoff of its Heritage Festival) during which attendees eat foods prepared by parishioners from various countries while watching cultural dancers and musicians. There’d be more peace in this world if we focused on the one thing we have in common: We’re all children of God.
I am glad you can see the benefits of organizations embracing diversity. But unfortunately, our country lacks unity, and we need to pray that this trend turns around and that we are more Christ-like. That sounds like a fun and entertaining event at your church.