One of the hot topics in the media and in board rooms around the world today is diversity. That word can mean different things to different people and can also raise the question, “Is moving toward diversity really the goal? Or should it be unity in diversity?” Granted, that assumes—often wrongly—that diversity exists in the first place.
For example, there can be two churches in the same city with different ZIP Codes and life circumstances. The members of both churches affirm that the Bible is God’s Word and is absolutely true, and that they are doing their best to submit their entire lives to it. Yet, strangely, many members of the church in ZIP Code A might say, “It’s hard for me to fathom how a person can call themself a Christian and vote Republican,” while many members of the church in ZIP Code B might say, “It’s hard to fathom how a person can call themself a Christian and vote Democrat.”
Consider the Gospel according to Matthew, where the disciple states that he, Matthew, was a tax collector, and Simon was a Zealot (Matthew 10:3-4). This is significant because Simon’s Zealot party worked against the government, while Matthew’s “tax collector party” worked for the government. You might say that Simon was a right-leaning, “small government” loyalist who thought the State should keep out of people’s business, and Matthew was a left-leaning, “bigger government” loyalist who made a career out of collecting taxes for the State. As far as we can tell, Simon remained a Zealot, and Matthew remained a tax collector, even after they started following Jesus. Despite their opposing political viewpoints, Matthew and Simon were friends, and Matthew wanted us to know this.
It could also be said, according to the good doctor Luke that Jesus had a “board” and that board for his nonprofit included women! As often is the case, significant supporters of our ministries are those that are transformed by our ministries, and that was the case for two of his “members,” Mary Magdalene and Joanna. We all know who Mary Magdalene was, but Joanna is one of the women recorded in the Gospel of Luke as accompanying Jesus and the Twelve and witnessing Jesus' resurrection. She was the wife of Chusa, who managed the household of Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee.
After this, Jesus traveled from one city and village to another. He spread the Good News about God’s kingdom. The twelve apostles were with him. Also, some women were with him. They had been cured from evil spirits and various illnesses. These women were Mary, also called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out; Joanna, whose husband Chusa was Herod’s administrator; Susanna; and many other women. They provided financial support for Jesus and his disciples. — Luke 8:1-3
He taught us about Samaritans—people who were despised and hated by the Jews—in the story of The Good Samaritan and in His interactions with the Woman at the Well.
Jesus also included children among His team: “Suffer the little children to come to me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 19:14)
The Book of Acts tells us the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-39), whom many church historians believe contributed significantly to the spread of the Church in Africa and to the nation of Ethiopia becoming a “Christian nation” in its day.
The Apostle Paul reminds us in Galatians 3:28-29 that “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
And then, there’s this picture:
After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb … And they were shouting with a great roar, “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!” — Revelation 7:9-10
How does what heaven looks like help reveal how God is calling us to live here on earth? They were all together, but it doesn’t say that they all became alike. They were from “every”…which is the picture of diversity.
Jesus even left us a glimpse of what this could be here on earth.
All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper ), and to prayer … And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. — Acts 2:42-44
It’s not easy. It’s maybe not even natural. We have to work at it because we are imperfect beings.
Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. — 1 Corinthians 13:9-12
So what is “unity in diversity?” Dr. Arthur L. Satterwhite III, Vice President of Diversity, Belonging & Strategy at Young Life offers this working definition: “A community that (1) is characterized by spiritual love, (2) is committed to actively seeing, appreciating, accepting, welcoming, centering, and valuing everyone as God does, and (3) intentionally works to ensure that individuals live, learn, love, serve, and worship together such that everyone can flourish in their calling.”
So how do we get there? By taking an honest assessment of our own hearts. May our prayer echo our Lord’s Prayer when He said, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” In light of this:
How might we make room for others? There will always be room for those who make room.
What is your personal commitment to not just talk about this but to also live it out?
What practical steps does your company or organization need to take to truly experience “unity in diversity”?
What is your sense of the barriers that may exist in your current culture?
In closing, I offer our company’s Statement of Unity & Diversity:
Mission:Leadership LLC both believes in and practices the Biblical doctrine of Imago Dei, which teaches that all people, regardless of race, gender, varying degrees of physical ability, or socioeconomic class are created in the image of God. Therefore, a biblical understanding of diversity celebrates the value of all human beings as image-bearers of God with God-given worth and dignity. Imago Dei extends to people of other faiths and to those whose viewpoints or beliefs are hostile to Christianity; therefore, all people are to be treated with respect and dignity. The Bible further calls us to live with one another in unity and peace. Recognizing that unity is not uniformity, and based on the diversity that we witness in the body of Christ, we are committed to live out the unifying power of the Gospel, both within our company and in our recruiting practices.
It's far from perfect, but if lived out honestly, with God’s help, it’s a start.
This was originally written for and published as a white paper by the Christian Economic Forum. Special thanks to my business partner, Dr. Rich Kidd, and to Dr. Arthur Satterwhite for providing some of the foundational thinking.
About the Author
Neal Joseph
Neal Joseph brings more than 35 years of senior-level leadership experience in the corporate, church and nonprofit worlds to his role as Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Mission:Leadership, a faith-based executive recruiting firm.
Prior to this, he served as Vice President of Nonprofit Recruiting at Slingshot Group, Senior Vice President of International Partnerships at Compassion International, megachurch Executive Pastor, Chief Operating Officer at Generous Giving, Label President at Warner Bros. Records, and Vice President of A&R and Marketing at Word Records.
He has traveled to 50+ countries throughout the world—both Western and developing—and after many years in Nashville, Tennessee, now lives just north of Orlando, Florida with his bride of 40 years, Wendy.