Diversity Is Wonderful
Diversity is beautiful. Diversity can be difficult, but it is beautiful.
How can it not be? God created each place, living creature, and human being. Every grain of sand and mountain range and family are part of God’s creation, which together make the world a picture only the Lord can see in its fullness.
I reflect on how difficult it can be to respect and get along with others who are of different skin colors, faiths, opinions, and ways of life. It seems that, sometimes, the fact that God created each and every person in His image, without preferring one over the other, is forgotten. Although we all have free will and can make different choices, how a person looks is exactly how the Lord wants him or her to look. He loves all shades of skin, all shapes of eyes, all varying heights, and all pitches of voice … because he created them that way. It seems simple, but so often is forgotten. I definitely struggle with judging too quickly and find that it is easy to lose the true person, the true child of God, behind a person’s decisions, actions and opinions.
The Lord also created each person with different interests and talents. Thank goodness we’re not all music therapists or the world would be lacking. One man who truly made the most of the limitations and talents he was given was Blessed Solanus Casey, a Capuchin who served in Detroit and New York, who was beatified last November. Father Solanus struggled with theology; and when he was ordained a priest, he was not given permission to preach or hear confessions. He spent his life serving the church as a porter and sacristan, a humble job yet one that allowed him to share his zeal for Christ with others. Many people sought his blessing and counsel, and “he had a divine love for people,” according to the provincial of his order. Father Solanus was judged by many and viewed differently because of his simple priestly duties, but he added diversity to the church and allowed the Lord to work through him.
I love diversity; and although I cannot see the whole picture, I praise God for His wisdom for creating such an interesting and varied world. I’m fortunate to have a group of friends from several countries; and in my job at the Cleveland Clinic, I work with patients from all across the country and world. Sometimes we don’t speak the same language, and sometimes we have different opinions and interests. But it comforts and excites me to know that being different is a blessing, whether it’s evident in our own families and towns or around the world.
