Embrace Diversity
Impacts: Mind, Community
“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
“In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true.” – Buddha
United we stand divided we fall, right? Sounds good on paper and in speeches but unless we live it, freedom doesn’t work, for anyone. Our diversity makes us stronger. In fact it is arguable that America is as strong as it is due to our cultural and religious diversity. Some on the fringes seem to prefer to disagree with that statement but the vast majority of us will point to all the evidence and prove them wrong.
Embracing diversity also means you are choosing to find ways to focus on the things that bind us together. This is not easy and many people find it difficult to take the first steps. An easy place to begin is to try to accept people for who they are, see past the differences and look for commonalities. Our differences are what make us interesting. They give us something else to bring to the table. If we let them divide us we all become weaker.
Exercise
- Make a list of controversial issues you feel strongly about that involve other people.
- To the left of each item mark the items you feel strongly opposed to with an X.
- Now ask yourself why.
- Reflect on the reasons that involve another persons culture, race, religion, or lifestyle.
