Diversity in Life and in Faith

A great conductor, tired of the excessively familiar New World Symphony by Dvorak, asked his orchestra to reseat itself on stage so as many players as possible were placed next to an unfamiliar instrument. For example, the first violinist sat next to the timpani, an oboe player amongst the violas, a horn in the cello section and so on. The purpose was to reveal new sounds and textures the musicians would not hear when seated in sections where musicians played the same instrument as they did. The change in Dvorak’s piece was revelatory.

I think this is a marvelous illustration of the importance of diversity in life. We travel in circles where people see things the way we do. People increasingly place their children in schools where the values and perspectives of the other students are like their own. The same could be said of our faith community. Imagine if we worshipped with people who saw their faith exactly as we see ours. We would certainly miss out on a new vision of life and faith.

I marvel at the diversity of Jesus disciples—fishermen, a tax collector, and a nationalistic zealot. They were hardly a homogeneous group. As difficult as this might have been Jesus knew that his teachings would have to appeal to a larger crowd whose values, lifestyles, and experiences would all be very different. So, he recruited people who would understand that kind of diversity. What a difference it made in the broad appeal of the gospel message.

This is one of the reasons I want to travel and see different cathedrals and the communities that grew up around them. Each of them will tell the story of a variety of people and paths of faith. They will tell the story of doctrinal unity and diversity—harmony and controversy. These cathedrals and the communities they spawned comprised of the artisans that constructed them will remind me that we ignore diversity at our peril. A church, a real church requires people of all ages, stages, viewpoints, status, race, and ethnic origins bound together by the mystery and wonder of God and guided by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. We certainly have a ways to go in some areas, but if we can see the strength diversity will bring us and the new ways God will speak to us, we’ll move even closer to the church God wants us to be.

Prayer
Gracious God, I thank you for the blessings of the different. If I have become too comfortable with the life and faith I am composing, seat me next to someone who sees it differently so I might grow in grace to the glory of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

P.S. I am taking the summer off from my weekly articles. See you in the fall.

C. Mac Hamon, Senior Pastor
Castleton United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana