The dictionary definition of ‘diversity’ is the state or fact of being ‘different’ or ‘unlike’ another. This means that anyone with a different nationality, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, family, social background or religious upbringing is diverse to you.
Sometimes, it can be easy to embrace diversity, as it enables us to enjoy new experiences and to have a well-rounded view of the world we live in. Other times, diversity can thrust the Christian into tricky situations, for difference can lead to disagreement, tempting us to compromise on our beliefs to avoid conflict.
So, how should the Christian respond to our culture’s fight for diversity? We believe that Christians should care about diversity, and here are three reasons why:
The Bible tells us that God created all human beings in His image (Genesis 1:27). This means that no matter our ethnicity, background or lifestyle choices, every human was created by God with equal purpose and value. Humanity with all its differences was made to reflect God’s goodness, and heaven will reflect a unified family of God’s people from ‘every nation, tribe, people and language’ (Revelation 7:9).
Not every Christian looks or lives the same as you do, but their faith has grown from the same gospel and from the same God. Our expression of faithful, gospel living may be shaped by our cultural context, personality, available resources or spiritual gifting, and yet we are all valuable members of the body of Christ, as emphasised by the Apostle Paul in Galatians 3:28: “You are all one in Christ Jesus.”
As believers, we may be tempted to stay in our Christian ghettos and to reject people who have a very different lifestyle to us. Perhaps we may even look down on people with different morals and ethics, or secretly believe that we’ve been saved because of how good we are. But the Bible clearly states that by God’s standards, “no one is righteous, not even one.” (Romans 3:10) In fact, the only thing that distinguishes God’s people from an unbeliever is His incredible grace (Ephesians 2:8) and undeserved mercy (1 Peter 2). Before God called you to give your life to Jesus, you were in the same position as the unbeliever and considered God’s enemy. So, how can we reject people who live differently to us, when we used to live out-of-sync with God too?
Last Chance to Register!
Full access to in-person event Conference booklet Access to Onward Deep Dive (exclusive three-session online youth program to do in groups or on your own, including talks and questions to explore the topic more)
Onward Youth will also be available via Livestream for those living outside of Sydney and unable to travel to the event. Contact our office for a code to access these tickets.
For more information or tickets, visit us at: https://www.onwardevent.com
