Does diversity weaken faith?
Caste: “an artificial construction, a fixed and embedded ranking of human value that sets the presumed supremacy of one group against the presumed inferiority of other groups on the basis of ancestry and often immutable traits, traits that would be neutral in the abstract but are ascribed lifeand- death meaning” – from “Caste: The Origins of our Discontents,” by Isabel Wilkerson.
“When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” ( Luke 12: 12- 14).
I recently read a review of the book “Caste” by Isabel Wilkerson. As I read her definition of caste, I couldn’t help but think it is the opposite of the warning Jesus gives to the Pharisaic leader who had invited him to a luncheon. These two very different visions of the world represent the worldview of people in power versus God’s desire for our living within God’s creation. And it is clear that the conflicting visions exist even today.
This conflict is something I have wrestled with for some time, especially as it relates to my Christian faith, a faith that often proclaims superiority over any and all other faith expressions.
My time at City of Hope has given me plenty of time to reflect on this conflict. It’s also been an opportunity to listen to some of my nurses and reflect with them on what it means to be a Christian in the world today. Actually what it’s always meant to be a follower of Christ.
The word I’ve used more than once to provide a context for Christian meaning is diversity. Think of the diversity within the world. We have trees, but how many different kinds? Seemingly infinite. Same with all other aspects of creation. Including people.
When I was teaching World Religions at IVC, I used the example of salsa to explain the reality of diversity as God’s vision for the world. In our valley, there are how many Mexican restaurants? I’ve eaten in many of them. They all serve salsa. They all use the same essential ingredients in their salsa.
Yet, there are no two salsas that are alike.
And every culture has it’s version of salsa, or sauce. Same result. Using the same essential ingredients there are no two sauces that are alike. The overwhelming evidence is that diversity is what God intended for the created order.
So why would we think that there is only one true religion, or one true religious expression? That is not even true within Christianity!
Think of the varieties of salsas as a gift. The Greek word for gift is charis, where we get the word charism. Or charisma. What if we thought of each faith expression as a charism, a gift to the whole of our understanding about God, the world, and our place in it?
What if we recognized that feelings of superiority of one over others is actually a form of idolatry, a way of describing the original sin described in the Bible.
Does diversity weaken faith?
I was asked to sing at a memorial service for an Interfaith group while Pastor at San Luis Obispo UMC in 2003. I struggled with what to sing that wouldn’t offend other faiths. Ultimately I sang out of my Christian faith. Afterward Rabbi Lon Moskowitz thanked me for the beautiful expression of my faith. I learned then that diversity doesn’t weaken faith.
Embracing diversity can make one’s faith stronger.