Remembering why we fight a countercultural battle for diversity
By Jenny Brady
Our country is currently entrenched in a heated debate on the merits of diversity initiatives. I will not say the debate is unwarranted given the extreme mindsets that exist on both sides of the aisle. But while the world debates the who, how, and when of diversity work, I find myself repeatedly wanting to remind both sides of the why. Too many of us in this field have lost perspective, forgetting that the heart behind diversity should ultimately be unity. We have gotten bogged down in a fight against culture that often strips away the joy of this work and makes us question if the effort is worth the outcome. We all need a reminder of what we stand to gain from pursuing diversity, and what we stand to lose from not.
The world has made diversity work about lack, defining groups by what they do not have and what they need from others. And while there are important issues of inequity to address, I would argue that diversity work is more about gain. It is clear from Scripture that God values diversity for what the Church stands to gain from it.1 In his letters to the Corinthians and Romans, Paul clearly states that God intentionally made the Church body diverse, blessing each member with necessary gifts others do not possess, so that the Church may operate more efficiently.2 Secular research points to this truth as well, consistently showing that diversity in the workplace leads to higher productivity and performance.3 In God’s perfect design, diversity is beneficial for all involved, at an institutional level and a personal level.
When I read the parable of the Good Samaritan, I often find myself focusing on the priest and the Levite rather than the namesake of the story. The priest and the Levite passed the man by, seeing him only for what he lacked and what they stood to lose by stopping to help him. But what they should have seen was what they stood to lose if they did not stop to help him. What did the priest and the Levite lose by turning away from the opportunity God laid before them? Similarly, what do we lose if we choose to turn away from the task God has laid before us to fight for His perfect design for diversity? Beyond losing the joy that comes with operating in alignment with His vision for us as a Church, we also lose an opportunity to move closer to Christ as individuals.
If our goal as believers is to be more like Christ, we have to fight for His vision for a diverse body of believers. This means fighting for it on an institutional level, but also fighting for it within our own hearts and minds. One of the hardest aspects of creating communities of belonging is humbling ourselves enough to set aside the worldly beliefs our environments have instilled in us and allowing God to replace them with the truth we find in His word about how He sees and values every human life. Due to our sinful human nature, we all tend to look at others and see what they lack. We have to challenge ourselves to see others for what they possess that we ourselves lack and need to learn. We all have deficits, but God designed us to be in community so that those deficits are covered by others’ strengths.5 And it is only through submerging ourselves in diverse communities that we come to truly understand the beauty in this design. When we move closer to God’s design for diversity in our institutions, we create opportunities and environments for us all to move closer to Christ as individuals. By engaging with others who are different from us and learning to listen, valuing others’ experiences, and understanding others’ perspectives, we heed Paul’s instructions to become more humble, more gentle, more patient, and more loving, which helps us “live a life worthy of the calling [we] have received” from God.6
There is no doubt this work is difficult. Though God created diversity for unity and rejoices in it, the world rejoices in division. And the biblical call to this work can often stand in opposition to our current culture’s vision for diversity. We must carefully evaluate what is effective and what is not, and ensure we are measuring both our intentions and our actions against biblical standards. This part can be especially challenging, as we often do not realize the full impact of our actions until it is too late.
Years ago, a former student of mine who has cerebral palsy told me that when she was a child, she believed she would be homeless as an adult because the only people she saw in wheelchairs were people living on the streets. Our intention as a school was never to send this message, but our actions, or lack thereof, sent it anyway. We have to critically evaluate every area of our schools, from what we represent to what we do not, to ensure our intentions and actions align. Our ultimate goal through diversity initiatives should be unity, but if we are not careful, we can end up doing the exact opposite.
Although this work is tough, it is worth it. If we let culture frame diversity efforts only by what one party stands to gain and one party stands to lose, we all lose. We lose opportunities to see the beauty of Imago Dei, how we were created in the image of God. We lose relationships that help uplift us into all that God created us to be. We lose the chance for our children to form a correct picture of who God is and how He loves us. So, while we can, and should, debate best practices, we have to come to the table with the belief that we all have something valuable to share and learn from each other. We also have to come with the intention to allow our own hearts and minds to be changed towards Him first and foremost. As we continue to navigate the terrain ahead, I pray we lead with love rather than rigidity, with grace rather than judgment, and with the Lord’s heart for unity at the center of our work.
1. 1 Corinthians 12
2. 1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12
3. Gomez, L.E., and Patrick Bernet. “Diversity Improves Performance and Outcomes.” Journal of the National Medical Association 111, no. 4 (August 2019): 383–92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnma.2019.01.006.
Richard, Orlando C., María del Triana, and Mingxiang Li. “The Effects of Racial Diversity Congruence between Upper Management and Lower Management on Firm Productivity.” Academy of Management Journal 64, no. 5 (October 2021): 1355–82. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2019.0468.
Turi, Jamshid Ali, Sudhaishna Khastoori, Shahryar Sorooshian, and Nadine Campbell. “Diversity Impact on Organizational Performance: Moderating and Mediating Role of Diversity Beliefs and Leadership Expertise.” PloS one, July 25, 2022. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9578724/.
4. Luke 10:27
5. 1 Corinthians 12:24-26
6. Ephesians 4:1-6 New International Version
Jenny Brady serves as Senior Director of Community Engagement at Legacy Christian Academy. She is nationally and internationally recognized as a leader in Kingdom diversity and unity work from a Biblical perspective. She has helped Christian schools develop and implement initiatives that create communities of belonging. Her work allows her to express her passion for Biblical diversity, equity, justice, and inclusion while combining her personal experience of growing up in Honduras. Jenny holds an MS in Sociology and a BA in Spanish. In the educational realm, Jenny has worked as a teacher and administrator and is on the Senior Leadership Team at LCA. She is the co-founder of the Christian Educators Diversity Alliance.