Many think that diversity is something new, but diversity has been around for a long time. F. F. Bruce in his commentary on Romans 12 says: “Diversity, not uniformity, is the mark of God’s handiwork. It is so in nature; it is so in grace, too, and nowhere more so than in the Christian community.” (The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, Williams B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI)
God has brought together in the Church a diverse bunch, people from every conceivable ethnic group, possessing different heritages, parentages, traditions. All are brought together into one Body, the Body of Christ, and endowed with a variety of gifts, to be used for the good of all. Romans 12:6 begins: “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.”
Too often we want everyone to be the same, think the same, act the same. What would this world be like if everything was the same? Every flower the same shape and color. Every tree exactly like all the rest. Every mountain like its neighbor. Every person alike. I can think of only one word to describe such a scenario – BORING!
God instead gave us color and variety, different seasons, different climates, different terrains. He made us all unique; no two people the same. We look different. We think differently. We act differently. Our personalities are different. We are diverse, and in the church this diversity works for the benefit of God’s Kingdom. The church would be very boring if we were all the same.
And just as we have received a measure of faith from God so that no one can boast, so we receive different gifts from God, according to the grace given us. Different gifts that are used in a variety of different ways. Different gifts used by unique people in the Kingdom of God, all for the benefit of the Kingdom.
