The Beauty of Unity and Strength in Diversity

LOCALLY SOURCED

The Beauty of Unity and Strength in Diversity

Manny Mill

I am a Christian who happens to be Cuban. In other words, my faith in Christ dictates to my Cuban culture, not my Cuban culture to my Christian faith. I left Cuba as a refugee with nothing, but I am still Cuban. I am loud, love to dance for Jesus, and eat black beans and rice and much more of our Cuban cuisine, but I no longer let my culture direct how I live as a Christian. Jesus is my King, my Lord, and my Older Brother. Your culture may be different than mine, but we both matter to God.

Diversity is the topic of the day! It is a sensitive subject, but an essential one we must wrestle with. Many are afraid to tackle it because we can easily offend others and be misunderstood. I have had the privilege of not only talking about it, but most importantly living it out passionately, intentionally, and with integrity for over 30 years. I may not understand your particular situation, but I can tell you that as a former inmate I feel your pain and your burden, and I have chosen to enter into others’ personal suffering because that is the heart of Christ in me. No man or woman is an island to himself or herself. We need each other. Each of us has an essential role to play, no matter your color, class or culture. Colorful diversity is a beautiful thing when it unites us and infuses us with the security and strength we all need. A very appropriate word to clearly describe this type of intimate, colorful diversity is “koinonia,” which in Greek means “belonging together in mutual partnership.”

You see, as we look at God’s majestic and glorious creation, we see unbelievable diversity, trillions of stars and galaxies in space, the immense seas, and their occupants, all the vegetation and animals on the earth! It is truly amazing and breath-taking. Likewise, as humans, we are also diverse, and each of us is eternally valuable with a body, soul, heart and a mind with ideas that can change for the better who we live, as we contribute to the welfare of each other. We are each unique, but we are one human race with the same color of blood! We must value our fellow human beings, especially those who look, think, or act differently than we do. We must defeat discrimination, and eradicate xenophobia, which is fear of people who look different than we do. As an old Amish saying goes, “The only time to look down on your neighbor is when you are bending over to help.” We must train ourselves not to react, but to respond in love. First John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” (NKJV)

Jesus said in Luke 10:27, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (NKJV) Who is our neighbor? Anyone and everyone that God chooses to send our way, regardless of what they have done or where they came from. According to the Scriptures, we must embrace them with genuine God-given love.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached on the parable of the Good Samaritan many times in his career, including the last night of his life. He was an extremely eloquent and effective communicator and used the Scriptures, specifically this parable to drive home his message of justice for all. The message of the gospel that he embraced gave birth to the civil rights movement.

A parable is a story about human interaction and dilemmas, but with a heavenly meaning. In this parable we have a man representing you and me. He is walking somewhere, perhaps to the market, when he is attacked and robbed by thieves, who represent the devil and his agents. Their mission is to kill, steal and destroy, so the Jewish man is robbed and left for dead on the road. A priest and then a Levite, both Jewish religious leaders, pass the injured Jewish man and keep going. Then comes a Samaritan, who is from a culture that despises the Jews. This man has compassion; he stoops, goes down to the level of his Jewish neighbor, changes his plans for God’s plans, and does the right thing. Though the Samaritans and Jews are enemies, this man takes the initiative, risks it all, even his reputation, crosses culture, and breaks tradition, driven by love that becomes visible and tangible for his fellow human being! This brings reconciliation, which is what we desperately need today. Diversity and compassion must keep winning!

Note that the Good Samaritan was equipped with the right tools to help his neighbor and make all he had available to help the neighbor he had never met before, including bandages, oil, wine, the donkey to transport him to the inn, the money to pay the inn keeper, and even the time to listen and stay in the same room with a stranger. Above all, his heart, mind, ear, and soul became fully available to his neighbor in need, desiring to see him fully restored, alive and healthy. Likewise, each of us is the solution to the needs of others; we are dependent on each other. This is how our Master Designer fashioned us to function. Dr. King said, “The priest and the Levite ask themselves the same question: What is going to happen to me if I help my neighbor? But the Samaritan asked . . . a different question: What is going to happen to my neighbor if don’t help my neighbor?” Each of us should ask that question, regardless of our neighbor’s color, culture, class, crisis and even crime. We must look at all people through the eyes of compassion and be vessels of mercy to bless, not hurt, others. Until we enter into people’s suffering, walk in their shoes and feel their pain, we will not be able to understand their need or dilemma.

That is why God our Father called Barbara, my wife, and me over 30 years ago to be equipped, pitch our tents, and suffer with those behind bars all over the world, with the same deep compassion and love demonstrated by the Good Samaritan and Jesus Christ. Jesus, totally innocent, died on the cross as our Substitute as the required payment for our sin, to free us from our slavery to sin as we become reconciled to God, our Creator. At Calvary we find total forgiveness for our sins and can then be merciful and forgive others. This is the best news a human being can receive . . . the gospel. Aleluya! That is why we responded in love to God’s call with our very first ministry in 1990. We established, against all odds, a beautifully diverse Koinonia House in Wheaton, a post-prison family home model to disciple men coming out of prison, serving as a strong bridge between the church in prison and the church in the street. Later we partnered with AWANA Ministries to begin “Malachi Dads” to see dads in prison reconcile with their children. You see, over 85% of our neighbors in prison come from broken homes, and over90% have children, and many of them need to learn how to be fathers.

One of the most innovative human inventions thatillustrates the beauty of unity and strength in diversityis LEGOS. Each piece, whatever its color and size, isessential for the whole to become what the designer hasintended it to be. Our sons spent hours creating differentmasterpieces, fitting each piece in exactly the right place.And friend, that is exactly who you are . . . an importantpiece in God’s plan, and there is a definite place for you inthe whole of God’s perfect masterpiece. “For we are God’smasterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, sowe can do the good things He planned for us long ago.”(Ephesians 2:10, NLT) That is, you! Read Psalm 139 andmeditate on the purpose of God in diversity and his lovingwisdom in making us all different. Trust him by trustinghis Son Jesus. Come to him with humility and expectancyto see his glory manifested in you and through you, animportant piece in God’s masterpiece, which he hascreated for his glory!