Paul’s reference to the diversity of body parts (1 Cor 12:12-31) is a vivid reminder that diversity is everywhere. We see it in the animal kingdom, with animals categorised in different ways (carnivores, herbivores, birds, reptiles etc.) and then within categories a wide variety (wild cats such as lions and tigers, domestic cats such as tabbies and Siamese.)
We see it with food types (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vegetables & fruits and dairy produce, for example, with a whole range of differences within each category– sprouts, beans, carrots, onions, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli and cucumber all being vegetables that are vastly different to each other!) We see it in people – different genders, races, ethnicity and so on.
It seems that God likes diversity! As the saying goes, ‘variety is the spice of life’! Yet for many of us, it’s this very diversity in life which causes problems. Wars break out because of the differences; we can’t cope with people who look different to us, who act differently, who eat different foods, who follow different traditions.
Many of our differences are simply due to differences in personality or taste or traditions, however. Personality varies enormously; tests such as the Myers Brigg Personality Indicator or the ‘animal test’ look at how our personalities manifest themselves and can go a long way to explaining why we find X congenial and Y so irritating! It can be helpful to understand the difference between the gregarious extrovert and the contemplative introvert, between someone who is rational and methodical in their way of working and someone who is impulsive and emotional, if only because we tend to assume that everyone is like us, only to be shocked when we discover they’re not! This huge range of personality is just another area of diversity in the creation God has made.
Instead of hating diversity, we do well to embrace it, for it’s surely here to stay! I sometimes think different denominations are more to do with our different personalities than different doctrines! – people care about the style of worship (liturgy or spontaneity, hymns played on organs or modern music with a church band) as much as they do about right beliefs. If variety really is the spice of life, then we do well to explore and embrace variety, understanding that there is a place for each one of us in God’s church. No one is superfluous to requirements; no one is all-important. Church is a great leveller and it’s important we reflect on Christ’s headship of the body to understand our role as servants, not lords. (Eph 1:22-23, Col 1:18)