Diversity Is Not Our Strength
Diversity can be good. Or bad. It's so simple even a monkey gets it! Don't believe me?
Just watched War for the Planet of the Apes. Why? Because apparently, I've got more time than sense.
BUT ... Caeser, the chief monkey – he says that holy monkey mantra that keeps them all going:
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Apes together ... strong.
Very powerful, poetic. So moving. I'm getting misty as I type.
But notice what he doesn't say! He doesn't say diversity is their strength! It's their "together" that makes them strong.
Now, even though it's so simple a monkey gets it, the left (religious left, political left, social left ... take your pick), doesn't know it.
Diversity, like abortion, is the Holy Grail for some in our society.
Because diversity is just super fabulous you see. In fact, Senator Schumer of New York sponsored a bill many years ago that created a "Diversity Visa Lottery Program." The name of that makes me think, "I can't brain today ... I have the dumb." It's how the most recent terrorist got to our country (Schumer has praised the program for its "diversity" in recent years but did agree to replace it with a massive increase in immigration/diversity).
Us: You won the lottery! You get to be an American! Yayyyy you!
Terrorist: But I have no job, no education, I don't speak English and hate America.
Us: Even better! You're SO diverse!
The oft-repeated mantra, "diversity is our strength" is just false.
Diversity can be "a" strength. Or diversity can be a destructive force.
Diversity amongst a people who are ferociously committed to shared values and vision and goals can enhance their ability to achieve their goals. But their strength is their unity.
In the first book of the Bible, there is great homogeneity as the people began to construct a tower to the heavens to make a name for themselves. And God gives them "diversity of language."
Diversity causes them to give up.
All of a sudden the people have tremendous diversity. Wonderful diversity. They speak many beautiful and wonderful languages. And they can't understand a doggone thing anybody is saying. So they give up on the tower and go their separate ways ... all over the world.
Diversity was their weakness.
Jump ahead to Acts 2, and there is great diversity among a group of people (about 15 groups are named). They all speak different languages. Beautiful diversity. A rich tapestry of differences (you always score diversity points if you can say "rich tapestry" and kind of swoon when you say it).
What does God do? He makes them MORE diverse right? Because He wants them to be STRONG and diversity is STRENGTH.
NO. He makes them LESS diverse.
He makes them the same – in the sense that they are all speaking different languages but they hear in their own language. Miraculously for a bit, they have no diversity of language, added to the fact that they have no diversity of values, and they are ferociously unified in their commitment to Jesus.
They have absolute homogeneity in their language and their worship of Christ, the risen Savior (seriously – every time I say, "homogeneity" you cringe don't you? Because the left would say it's like a dog whistle to white supremacists and KKKers (which are wicked people, so no, I'm not dog whistling)).
And their unity (not their diversity) is so SO strong and their ferocious commitment to Jesus so SO strong, that, led by the Holy Spirit, Christianity spread all over the known world. Their UNITY is their strength.
Diversity Can Destroy Us
Diversity for diversity's sake will destroy us. Because it leads to importing people like Sayfullo Saipov. He added diversity. Consider how diverse he is compared to the majority population of the US even today:
- He hates Western values (free speech, religion, and all that stuff).
- He loves ISIS.
- He loves shariah.
- He wants Americans dead.
- He wants a worldwide caliphate.
But he's the wrong kind of diverse. The outcome of diversity, in this case, is easily predictable and was on display for all the world to see as he murdered people on Oct. 31st, yelling, "Allahu akbar."
E Pluribus Unum is power.
E Pluribus Unum is the motto of the United States, adopted in 1776. It means, "Out of many, one."
Yes, there is diversity in the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12-14), but it is absolutely subservient to unity or "oneness" in the essentials of the faith and allegiance to God's Word and the supremacy of following Jesus. Diversity ONLY adds strength when it advances Christ's Kingdom. The strength comes from our shared commitment to Jesus.
And it's the same in our country. Diversity can add strength as long as it is subservient to a "oneness" of values and vision. In World War II, the United States was able to mobilize as a nation from coast to coast precisely because we were unified, not diversified.
There was no diversity of language, no diversity of vision - we wanted to destroy the Axis powers, there was no diversity of values – we were committed to the Western values of democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of conscience. Even in our alliance with Russia — our differences became subservient to our unifying goal of defeating Germany.
Oh, also note that both the Japanese and the Germans were completely and utterly lacking in diversity of language, race, values, and vision. They even looked the same and insisted on looking the same (you better be Aryan or Japanese, or you die)! NO diversity! And yet these small nations nearly took over the world. Their unity of purpose was their power.
Our unity is our power.
When the United States is united around and fiercely committed to protecting the God-given rights expressed in our Constitution, it is a beacon of hope to the world.
And when the local church is united around allegiance to God's Word and knowing Him and making Him known, the local church is the absolute hope of the world.
Amen amen.
Originally posted at I Like My Coffee Black.
