Diversity and Inclusion

I’ve been pondering the ideas of diversity and inclusion lately. These are two words that we hear quite often in society. I believe that for the most part people these days are drawn to diversity and inclusion. There are still some stuck in segregation yet there are many who are truly seeing the beauty in diversity and inclusion.

I am blessed to look around my city of Kamloops and see people from many different cultures. I love to see the different skin colors, hair types and styles, languages, accents, clothing styles, and so on. I see the differences in all of us through the lens of beauty. We all choose how we see. We are all one, yet we express ourselves in many different ways. I am so thankful for this as without it we would live in a very boring world.

It is important to acknowledge diversity, but we must embrace oneness. This is where inclusion happens. Think of weaving a tapestry. Diversity is having all the different colored threads; inclusion is weaving them together in the tapestry. Diversity is potential and inclusion brings the picture together. If I were to make a tapestry with a beautiful flower garden scene that has multiple shades of green and every color and shade of flower imaginable but only have one shade of green and the primary colors, it will still make a pretty picture, although very basic. It wouldn’t turn out quite the same as it would if I used all the colors. Every color is valuable and needed. We, as humanity, make up the most beautiful rainbow ever imaginable. May we be free enough to let all the colors shine!

God speaks to us through anything and everything if we’re open and willing. Every part adds color. When we refuse to accept someone (or an idea that is different from ours) we are excluding a color. Perhaps that color (or person or idea) is not currently in our frame of reference. Are we open to seeing something new or will we reject it because it’s unknown to us? If your life (or my life) is seeming stale or monotone, perhaps it’s because you’ve excluded too many colors from your life. When we lay down our fear of what others will think of us, we’ll be amazed at the vibrancy we begin to see in our lives. If you want to see more color in your life, open yourself up to include a wider variety of people. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the beauty you’ll see that you previously hadn’t even realized was there or realized you were missing out on. When we are stuck in a limited way of thinking we often don’t even realize we’re missing out on colors.

There is so much beauty in our world if we choose to see it. God has created us, humanity, as the most beautiful tapestry imaginable. Are we willing to see it as He sees it? Are we willing to embrace each other as one?