Diversity? God Invented It!

DIVERSITY? GOD INVENTED IT!
John R. Petrilli

These days when the topic of diversity comes up, the church of Jesus Christ is rarely part of the discussion. Christians and Christianity are often unfairly portrayed by the media as narrow, homogenous, and exclusive. Unfortunately, there are instances when Christians themselves have unwittingly earned such a reputation by attitudes and actions that are less than ideal. But, as with every great and lofty ideal, the reality isn’t always consistently lived out by its sincere yet imperfect adherents. The result is a non-believing population being left with the distinct impression that God Himself isn’t the least bit interested in diversity either. The purpose of this article is to correct this misconception, and to provide a clearer, more accurate view of God’s take on diversity.

It seems highly ironic that the subjects of diversity and God end up on such divergent paths, for, according to the Biblical account, God invented diversity! While the universe was sill in a vacuous state, we find God infusing it with myriad-like galactic and stellar diversity (Gen. 1:1-2, 14-18). Paul elaborates on the Genesis account, stating that stars vary widely in magnitude and brilliance (1 Cor. 15:41b). We know from scientific observation that their colors span the spectrum.

Just prior to His display of celestial creativity, God blanketed the infant earth with a whole host of vegetative life, including plants and trees (Gen. 1:11-12). Shortly after, He filled the seas with burgeoning aquatic life, and the skies with all kinds of birds (Gen. 1:20-22). Then God ordained the creation of the animal and insect kingdoms, whose species number in the tens of thousands (Gen. 1:24-25). King Solomon endeavored to catalogue this great diversity of creatures (1 Kings 4:33).


GOD'S CREATION EXHIBITS DIVERSITY AT EVERY LEVEL!

All of earth’s ecosystems function independently and interdependently, yet maintain amazing levels of magnificent coordination and efficiency. Take the plant world for instance. In these pleasant days of summer and fall we take great pleasure in growing and tending our flower and vegetable gardens. One walk through the Rose Garden at Syracuse’s Thornden Park leaves me awestruck at all the varieties of just this one type of flower. According to Genesis 1:11-12, God set in motion the initial creative process of plant life that continues today. And in 1 Corinthians 15:37-38 we learn that each seed of every plant carries the predetermined genetic code necessary to insure the faithful, ongoing reproduction of its own unique characteristics.

Then there’s the vast aquatic world, with its seemingly endless oceans and seas. The creation account reveals a water world that dwarfs the 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea story by comparison. Not only did God form this vast aquatic expanse, He promptly filled it with every kind of water animal imaginary (Gen. 1:10,20). God could easily have designed the fish world in a static manner, but a serious dive into the ocean deep uncovers an astounding host of various species. The Psalmist marvels at both the size range as well as the innumerable population of this global community hidden under the cover of the ocean surface (Psa.104:24-25). From the smallest plankton to the titanic blue whale, these creatures of the sea all bear testimony to the creative
and incomprehensible diversity of their Maker.

Enter the Animal world. Having freshly stocked the water bodies of the planet with aquatic life to overflowing, the Lord then turns to the skies. It’s hard for me to imagine an empty skyline, but that’s what existed prior to God’s hand touching it. One command from His mouth was all it took to instantaneously fill the heavens with an aviary population flush with color, motion, and excitement (Gen. 1:20-21). Next came the ground game, where a barren terrain became fully populated in a split second! God spoke, and it was as good as done! Lions, tigers, bears, ants, bumblebees, crickets, and every other creeping, crawling, and lumbering entity suddenly appeared on the planet, literally blanketing it with activity and sound (Gen. 1:24-25). Divinely endowed with such gifts as survival instinct and camouflage, these creatures of the land carry out their God-ordained purpose of pleasing His heart and glorifying His great Name (Rev. 4:11).

Admittedly in somewhat of a reverse order, we come to the installation of the celestial world. One glance up into the starry canopy on a summer night in the countryside baffles the smartest accountant alive. Not only are these heavenly bodies beyond counting, the greater mystery is that every one of them is different. The galaxies, star clusters, and stars all vary in composition, magnitude (perceived brightness) and color (1Cor. 15:40-41). In my teen years I fell in love with the hobby of astronomy. If you’ve never taken a telescopic walk around our solar system, galaxy and universe, you TRULY don’t know what you’re missing! God has set these bodies in their place for the express purpose of pointing us to Him! (Psa. 19:1-4 ; Rom. 1:19-20). DIVERSITY .. Yes! God’s Creation has that!


GOD'S DESIGN OF DIVERSITY IS REFLECTED IN A HUMAN RACE CHARACTERIZED BY REMARKABLE ETHNIC, CULTURAL, RACIAL, AND ECONOMIC DIVERSITY!

Over the past few decades American society has undergone a revival of ethnic awareness. While we’re all Americans, new terminology reflects a heightened awareness of one’s ethnic roots. There are those who now proudly identify themselves as African Americans, Irish Americans, Italian Americans, Jewish Americans, Native Americans, Polish Americans, Spanish Americans etc., etc. Getting down to the roots of ethnicity, I discovered that the Greek word for ethnicity translates as “national origin”. This same word, “ethnos”, is repeatedly used in the book of Revelation to indicate the all-encompassing diversity and universal representation of the future heavenly population (Rev. 5:9 ; 7:9 ; 10:11 ; 11:9). God has commissioned His people to take His gospel to every “ethnos”, every nation (Matt. 28:19-20). Did you know that God preordained the very boundaries of each nation (see Acts 17: 26)?

Cultural diversity is also one of God’s specialties. Unlike us, who so frequently make subconscious distinctions between people base on color, race, or nationality, God opens His arms to welcome and love people from every kind of cultural background. The initial stages of the church were fraught with controversies and new revelations. The pioneering apostolic missionaries were exclusively Jewish, and the New Testament repeatedly records the great lengths God had to go to convince them that the non-Jewish world was included in His offer of salvation. Two important Greek words come into play when discussing the nature of cultural diversity. The first is “phule”, the word for tribe, which denotes a people united by kinship or place of habitation. The second is “glossa”, the word for language. Language is the vehicle by which a culture is expressed and communicated. When tribe and language are put together, we have that which constitutes culture. It’s the language and traditions of a people that makeup its cultural heritage. It took a visionary miracle coupled with a divine appointment to convince Jewish evangelist Peter that God was extending His love and saving grace across cultural boundary lines (Acts 10:34). Peter’s initial experience sets the table for the church’s ongoing mission of preaching a gospel that incorporates all cultures of the world. And John the revelator uses this same word, “glossa”, to identify those who will be joining the heavenly throng at the dawn of eternal glory (Rev. 5:9 ; 7:9 ; 10:11 ; 11:9).

Racial diversity is also a part of the discussion that addresses God’s love for diversity. When I come to this point, I can’t help but recalling the lyrics of the innocently yet beautifully true song, “Jesus Loves The Little Children, All The Children Of The World, Red and Yellow, Black and White, They Are Precious in His Sight, Jesus Loves the Little Children of the World”. Cute as it sounds, its truth applies, not only to children, but to all people of all ages and all races. The Greek word, “laos”, is used to indicate the racial orientation of a particular people group (Rev. 5:9; 7:9; 10:11; 11:9 ; 13:1-2). In the early church the Holy Spirit is seen composing leadership teams that reflect broad racial diversity. According to the etymology of the names of the leaders at the Antioch church, we can safely conclude that these men came from racial backgrounds including Africans, Caucasians and Asians (see Acts 13:1-2). How well does our current church bodies reflect racial diversity at both the leadership as well as the membership levels? DIVERSITY .. yeah, God’s Humanity has that!


GOD'S PREFERENCE FOR VARIETY IS REFLECTED IN THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND GIFTING DIVERSITY REPRESENTED IN HIS REDEEMED FAMILY!

Writing originally to believers scattered by persecution, the apostle James addresses the problem of showing favoritism in the church (James 2:1-7). But the Holy Spirit instructs them and us to practice “status blindness” by treating both rich and poor with equivalent respect and in an equitable fashion. God loves and receives people from every level of the economic strata, and wants His children to do the same. In addition, we see God’s great diversity reflected in the distribution and exercise of spiritual gifts within the body. Individual members of the local assembly are endowed with differing abilities and strengths that can and should be employed in a harmonious and constructive manner (1 Cor. 2:12,20,27). DIVERSITY .. Yes! God’s redeemed family has that!


GOD'S PREFERENCE FOR DIVERSITY IS REFLECTED IN THE WAY HE CREATED YOU!

Do I have your attention now? Yes, YOU! According to Psalm 139, there’s nobody quite like you. The Lord quietly superintended every step of your prenatal formation. He cares about you so much that a second doesn’t go by that He isn’t thinking of you! (see Psa. 139:17-18) God’s diversity can be seen in the minute diversity of each detail that makes you uniquely you! Like a weaver making a beautiful tapestry, God has put you together in a way that is totally unique and one of a kind. Like that song of old, “There’ll never be another you!” We each have our own special DNA code, eye retina, fingerprint, and voice! Please don’t ask me how God does this, I can’t tell you! All I can say is, I’m so thankful for all the beauty and diversity our wonderful Lord has poured into this existence we call life. And I am SO thankful for the opportunity to love Him and serve Him, with my very best, every day He allows me to enjoy. If you’ve never met this kind of a God, He’s anxious to introduce Himself to you. He tells us that He’s forever knocking at our heart’s door, bidding us open to His love and fellowship. Whatever may be keeping you from turning that knob and allowing Him entrance, it’s never even close to worth it. Make the move, take the step, and receive Jesus Christ as you Savior and Lord. You’ll never regret it, and I guarantee you, you’ll never be the same again! DIVERSITY .. Yes! Each of us, as God’s handiwork, has that!