For anyone that reads this, you have may have begun to see a theme. I am realizing that we live life in cycles and themes really begin to emerge for what we are thinking about and learning.Right now, that theme is racial/cultural reconciliation. And that phrase carries so much attached to it. And it is a theme that I hope continues to shape me and grow me for years to come.
Some of you might think I'm crazy or naive, to pursue this challenging and often touchy subject. I will admit that I am no expert and that I have and will continue to make mistakes on this journey, but God has burdened me with the desire to see people from different backgrounds and with unique experiences come together. I desire to see us come together so that we can share with each other the richness of our varied backgrounds. I learn so much from someone who is completely different than me, but that is not the first person I "naturally" approach.
Tomorrow/today we are having a discussion at Taylor about "Diversity". I'm extremely interested and excited for this to take place, and I pray for an open heart and mind for myself and those who will attend.
I leave for now with a few questions. Please respond in the comments below if you feel comfortable.
(1) Why do we naturally surround ourselves and approach those who are similar to us?
(2) Do you have a story or experience of a time when you got to know someone you "normally" wouldn't?
(3) What does diversity mean to you?
3 comments:
We naturally surround ourselves and approach those who are similar to us because we value that which is like us. We're self-centered enough to see the good in us and to overlook the bad. At the very least, we're more tolerant to the flaws that we hold than to those of "the outside."
Really, it's not necessarily a bad thing if it doesn't become exclusive. My closest friends are ones that are most like me. They understand me in a way that most of my other friends cannot. That isn't to say that my other friends don't highly value who I am or that I think less of them for not understanding. It merely means that they can only relate to certain aspects of me. While that's great (I really do appreciate their love for me), the truth is that I highly value the part of me that they do not understand. And I want to have some others to share that part with, even if it is limited to a select few.
I do love learning about those who are different than I am, though. It keeps life interesting. =)
"What does diversity mean?"
1. otherness
2. discomfort
3. curiosity
4. intrigue
5. joy
6. pain
7. discovery
8. more pain
9. finding my missing pieces
10. being exposed to new aspects who God is.
Dude, you're all over the blog stuff now. It's weird how life goes in cycles and at some points you get a rush of thoughts and ideas (or just more free time to post).
I've been thinking about the questions you posted here on diversity. It's actually turned into a whole entry for me. I'll post it as soon as I get a break.
Post a Comment