The Blessing of Diversity
Genesis 11: 1-9
The service began with a drum call. I was in the chapel of Louisville Seminary, at the inauguration of our new President in April. The African drums echoed each other, a contrapuntal conversation. In ancient times, villages did not have ways to call a meeting. The villages were far away from each other. When it was time to worship God, the call to worship was sent with the sound of drums. The rhythms were communication, a sort of Morse code, telling each village the meeting would happen. As the drum call continued, the faculty and esteemed persons came down the center aisle, bedecked in colorful robes, stoles, and hoods of many colors, reflecting their degree, and where they had earned that degree.
I served on the Presidential search committee at Louisville Seminary for almost 2 years, and this night was a celebration of all our hard work. Our 10th President was an African American man from Howard University, and he came with a message: “Whosoever: A Divine Invitation.”
In ancient times, before the call of Abraham, the sons of Noah scattered in different parts of the earth, adopting different languages. In chapter 11, we find a story that comments on that scattering. Listen, with me, to that story in Genesis 11. (Scripture is read)
This year, I share this story with you as a prelude to Pentecost. Next week, we will hear the story of how the Holy Spirit came to the gathered disciples on the Festival of Weeks. People from all over the earth had gathered, and when the spirit came, they each heard the gospel in their own language. The disciples were speaking the languages of all the gathered people with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Unlike Pentecost, the story of Babel is a disturbing story. It tells of a time when all the people were in one place, shared one language, and sought protection in a building of their own making. God scattered the people from that place, and diverse languages, cultures, and tribes populated the earth.
Why would God do such a thing? The way I learned the story, I was told the people were proud and powerful, and God wanted to punish them for building a tower and making a name for themselves. But now, years later, I wonder. I am taking a second look.
Could it be that God favors diversity over homogeneity? That God wished that humankind develop differences? When I first started studying birds and bird behavior, I was struck with the sheer numbers of birds. They all have different calls, different behavior, different migration patterns. Why did there need to be so many birds? Wouldn’t one bird be enough to cover the bird category?
God didn’t think so. Our creation is populated with tens of thousands of different birds. Different trees. Different beasts of the sea and land and air. As Annie Dillard has said, “The Creator loves pizazz.”[1]
Sizes, shapes, aptitudes, colors, lifestyles, cultures, languages…humankind is a vast array, a demonstration of our joyful, creative God. But the story of Babel teaches us that we do not always welcome all these differences. The people in Babel wanted to keep things the same. Huddle together away from that strange diverse world God created and retreat into the sameness of one language, lifestyle and culture.
Our world testifies that humankind is still reluctant to move out of our tower comfort zones. When we called Alton Pollard as President of Louisville Seminary, one of the questions the search committee asked itself was, “Are we ready for Alton?” Alton had a history of standing against injustice in all its forms. He was eloquent and vocal and most of all…he was unafraid. We knew someone, or maybe many someones, might be offended by him.
But then the question…If not now, when? How long will we wait to extend the “Whosoever” invitation? How long will it take for us to place our fears of diversity aside and embrace the creation that God has set before us?
During all my years of ministry, I have heard the cry for unity in congregations and denominations. We want to be united. But what kind of unity does God desire? The story of Babel tells us that unity in sameness is not what God has in mind. All our efforts to smooth over our “differences” by trying to erect a tower of sameness will fail.
The only unity that can come to us is through embracing our differences. Cultures, genders, languages, races, sexual orientation, ways of life…these things are reflections of our diversity. Jesus offers the divine embrace of grace to each of us…” For God so loved the world, that he sent his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.”
Whosoever includes me! Thanks be to God! Whosoever includes each one of you! And whosoever includes the precious young adults whose handicaps the world would like to turn away from. These students we recognize today with our gift are beloved children of God.
Created in the image of God. Accepted. Loved. In God’s creation, no one is left behind, no one goes down the drain, no one is unclean. We are all accepted, just as we are. And that, my friends, is the best news in our whole wide world. Differences open bridges of understanding bind us together as God’s people and give us the only unity that lasts.
Whosoever will…may come!
[1] Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, page____
Genesis 11: 1-9
The service began with a drum call. I was in the chapel of Louisville Seminary, at the inauguration of our new President in April. The African drums echoed each other, a contrapuntal conversation. In ancient times, villages did not have ways to call a meeting. The villages were far away from each other. When it was time to worship God, the call to worship was sent with the sound of drums. The rhythms were communication, a sort of Morse code, telling each village the meeting would happen. As the drum call continued, the faculty and esteemed persons came down the center aisle, bedecked in colorful robes, stoles, and hoods of many colors, reflecting their degree, and where they had earned that degree.
I served on the Presidential search committee at Louisville Seminary for almost 2 years, and this night was a celebration of all our hard work. Our 10th President was an African American man from Howard University, and he came with a message: “Whosoever: A Divine Invitation.”
In ancient times, before the call of Abraham, the sons of Noah scattered in different parts of the earth, adopting different languages. In chapter 11, we find a story that comments on that scattering. Listen, with me, to that story in Genesis 11. (Scripture is read)
This year, I share this story with you as a prelude to Pentecost. Next week, we will hear the story of how the Holy Spirit came to the gathered disciples on the Festival of Weeks. People from all over the earth had gathered, and when the spirit came, they each heard the gospel in their own language. The disciples were speaking the languages of all the gathered people with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Unlike Pentecost, the story of Babel is a disturbing story. It tells of a time when all the people were in one place, shared one language, and sought protection in a building of their own making. God scattered the people from that place, and diverse languages, cultures, and tribes populated the earth.
Why would God do such a thing? The way I learned the story, I was told the people were proud and powerful, and God wanted to punish them for building a tower and making a name for themselves. But now, years later, I wonder. I am taking a second look.
Could it be that God favors diversity over homogeneity? That God wished that humankind develop differences? When I first started studying birds and bird behavior, I was struck with the sheer numbers of birds. They all have different calls, different behavior, different migration patterns. Why did there need to be so many birds? Wouldn’t one bird be enough to cover the bird category?
God didn’t think so. Our creation is populated with tens of thousands of different birds. Different trees. Different beasts of the sea and land and air. As Annie Dillard has said, “The Creator loves pizazz.”[1]
Sizes, shapes, aptitudes, colors, lifestyles, cultures, languages…humankind is a vast array, a demonstration of our joyful, creative God. But the story of Babel teaches us that we do not always welcome all these differences. The people in Babel wanted to keep things the same. Huddle together away from that strange diverse world God created and retreat into the sameness of one language, lifestyle and culture.
Our world testifies that humankind is still reluctant to move out of our tower comfort zones. When we called Alton Pollard as President of Louisville Seminary, one of the questions the search committee asked itself was, “Are we ready for Alton?” Alton had a history of standing against injustice in all its forms. He was eloquent and vocal and most of all…he was unafraid. We knew someone, or maybe many someones, might be offended by him.
But then the question…If not now, when? How long will we wait to extend the “Whosoever” invitation? How long will it take for us to place our fears of diversity aside and embrace the creation that God has set before us?
During all my years of ministry, I have heard the cry for unity in congregations and denominations. We want to be united. But what kind of unity does God desire? The story of Babel tells us that unity in sameness is not what God has in mind. All our efforts to smooth over our “differences” by trying to erect a tower of sameness will fail.
The only unity that can come to us is through embracing our differences. Cultures, genders, languages, races, sexual orientation, ways of life…these things are reflections of our diversity. Jesus offers the divine embrace of grace to each of us…” For God so loved the world, that he sent his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.”
Whosoever includes me! Thanks be to God! Whosoever includes each one of you! And whosoever includes the precious young adults whose handicaps the world would like to turn away from. These students we recognize today with our gift are beloved children of God.
Created in the image of God. Accepted. Loved. In God’s creation, no one is left behind, no one goes down the drain, no one is unclean. We are all accepted, just as we are. And that, my friends, is the best news in our whole wide world. Differences open bridges of understanding bind us together as God’s people and give us the only unity that lasts.
Whosoever will…may come!