There is soaring freedom for the soul in honoring diversity and embracing its benefits.
The temptation to “fit in” with others, to be like others, to satisfy others against one’s better instincts, or to believe one must be like the crowd to be accepted, is suffocating and stultifying, even fatal. And it’s not necessary.
We are all part of one grand infinitely diverse creation. There isn’t anything cookie-cutter about God, for God is expressed in an infinite number of ways, and those ways include you and me, and our neighbors.
You were not created to be like me, and I was not created to be like you. We are unique, expressing a unique God. Yay! This is very good! For this means I don’t ever need to be like you, nor would you ever want to be like me. We each have our own wonderful individuality to live out and enjoy, and it’s equally good and grand for both of us!
God’s creation is infinitely diverse. Variety abounds everywhere!
The apostle Paul wrote,
“There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit…. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all” (I Cor. 12:4,6,7, NKJV).
Valuing diversity blesses relationships, for instead of criticizing a partner for not having a particular talent, one looks for their strengths and values those. Valuing diversity benefits society, for instead of criticizing a neighbor for not being what you think they should be, one looks for the good qualities they possess, and values those.
All of creation fits together like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. Every piece is unique and has its place and part to play. One piece never competes with another piece for its position or place. It thrives in its own.
Find your place with God and love it! Live true to it.
Don’t fear diversity. See beyond material appearances to the spiritual good in everyone. It’s in that spiritual good that we find common ground in the one Spirit of God that made us all in the first place, as part of one grand whole.
Wow..love this Evan!…puts everything into an harmonious perspective. I love the emphasis on individuals, as opposed to personalities. Individuals who are part of the whole expressing a myriad of Minds facets! Now I am ready for a day full of blessings❣️
I love this too, Evan, thank you very much. It reminds me of this piece from Retrospection and Introspection p 70: “Each individual must fill his own niche in time and eternity.”
This is wonderful. I’m going to apply it to see our politicians this way!
Hi Evan – There’s one element of the diversity issue that I struggle with! I live in Manchester, England and have observed rapid and vast change in the demographic of both my own area and the country as a whole during the last 40 years. European nations such as the United Kingdom, France, Sweden and Germany are set to see their indigenous peoples decline to being minorities in their own homelands by 2050 due to the mass immigration and open border policies currently in place. I believe in the concept of “homeland” being allocated for each of the diverse peoples of the world but it seems that European people are not being allowed to keep theirs as they are currently being sacrificed on the altar of multiculturalism and political correctness.
I can’t find any other CS forum to put this question out there so I’m hoping you can help! It really saddens me to see Europe as it once was disappearing and I’d love to know how to pray on this issue. Thanks!
Excellent way to start the week. Thanks Evan!
Thank you for such a timely message. I truly needed that and will keep it in my thoughts. Love all your messages.
I am always in awe of how ‘spot on’ your blogs are Evan. I read section 5 and the story of Cornelius in this week’s Bible Lesson and thought how well it fits in with your message on diversity! I value these blogs so much. Thank you.
ThANK YOU. mY SISTER one time paused before leaving a local restaurant here where I live and she said “Let me just soak up this diversity for a moment”. I loved that thought and have been more appreciative for my new home town ever since.
Great thought, so well expressed, Evan.
When my children we’re young & they would be disappointed in how a friend would act, I would tell them to value their best qualities & let the rest go. Our friends aren’t made in our image & likeness but God’s.
Thank you, DavidM for reminding me of the “special niche” quote we all are given by MBE.
I look forward to sharing with Evan @ commentators each day. Blessings!
Lovely comments!
Wonderful reminder to value our own individuality as our Father-Mother God’s reflections, expressing all the qualities of Soul, including the spiritual sense to see everyone’s true identity in the image and likeness of God. Thank you Evan for starting our new day with this great idea!
What a beautifully unifying message that brings home the power of Love to each of us. I am reminded of Mrs. Eddy’s statement of Truth, ” With one Father, even God, the whole family of man would be brethren, and with one Mind and that God, or good,
the brotherhood of man would consist of Love and Truth and have unity of Principle and spiritual power which constitute divine Science”. We are All included in the mosaic of Love and each of us have a symbiotic relationship to God’s universal family.
How very special are Each of us, being reflections of God.
I love the emphasis here on the diversity of individuality. Quite frankly, I think that aspect of diversity is often overlooked today. Today’s blog certainly brings home the need to not overlook that part of diversity!
A dear practitioner friend told me, “There is no harmony without differences.”
Think about that! How enjoyable would be a symphony of one note? BORING.
It wouldn’t go anywhere, move anyone, or accomplish anything.
Diversity is essential to harmony and vice-versa.
“Father-Mother God, all-harmonious.”
Truly each of us is unique. All are ascending upward to the Principal of harmonious being.
Recognizing the diversity of God’s ideas as put forth today is a blessing..
Thanks for this uplifting, helping us to see the correct idea in all it’s form, color and clarity.
Thank you Evan, such an important social basic! It’s heartening to see gradual acceptance of the need for transformation of our public education to drop the cookie-cutter approach and value individual talent and contribution.
Totally uplifting! A wonderful reminder of how changing one’s perspective from fearing the
differences to seeing how harmoniously we can live together is really part of God’s plan.
Thank you, Evan!
Oh yes! If we did not have different notes we would not be able to write beautiful music, as Diane points out. Diversity is the key to harmony, monotone is not what Life and Soul are about. We are all part of a gorgeous rich tapestry of cultural individuality, talents, skills, creativity, forms and colors, We are so very blessed to be free to express our individuality with courage and without fear of being criticized and kept in a box. Thank you so much for your message today Evan! ❤️
Excellent article, Evan. It surely gets to the point.. celebrating our innate diversity is where it’s at!
“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
St. Matthew 5:13-16
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28
Love the analogy of the puzzle pieces Evan! 🙂
I greatly appreciate the thoughts about the “Value of diversity.” Thanks to all for the comments. They are varied and lovely!
Todays message makes me think of how diverse the expressions of gratitude are on this blog, in variety of style, mode of expression, and perspective. Each individually unique while expressing the multifarious aspects of one divine Spirit, Mind. What a wonderfully diverse fellowship this is! Thank you for the daily light and inspiration Evan.
David I love the way you said, “helping us to see the correct idea in al it’s form, color and clarity.”
I came across something I wrote down from a past blog just before I turned on today’s Spirit View. Evan had said “Rather then getting stymied by material distinction that would divide us we find spiritual commonality that unites us.” I also wrote down something from a comment or maybe an inspired thought, “God in all his attributes shine through our (all) individualities.”
This blog was timely Evan. Thank you for providing this way to engage each other.
Love to all.
Puzzle pieces! That will be fun to work with in Sunday School. Thanks Evan. And thanks Diane for the note about no harmony without diversity, and a one-note symphony. Also good for Sunday School.
That is an excellent explanation of the goodness of our spiritual diversity. Every time I go hiking and am looking at all the diversity in nature, I think of the infinite expression of God and God’s ideas. It reminds me to see and appreciate the rest of God’s creation as I experience it at my church, in my neighborhood and in the world.
Thank you dear Evan, for today’s so important theme in your uplifting SpiritView!
I love the diversity of God’s wonderful creation!
That reminds me on the following sentence in Science and Health by MBEDDY with the headline WHAT IS MAN: “man is the compound idea of God, including all right ideas.” And another passage that might fit to today’s toppic and which I read in this week’s lesson sermon from SH p. 518 : “All the varied expressions of God reflect health, holiness, immortality – infinite Life, Truth and Love.” So isn’t the diversity of God’s creation wonderful, and it is infinte, without limit, harmonious and perfect!? We all can and will find our place with God through prayer and surely love it. Evan, I am grateful for your awakening and healing SpiritView blog! And thanks to all for your inspired and inspiring grateful comments!
In the ’80s I was active duty in the CG Office of Civil Rights in WDC. I lived in Arlington, VA. I LOVED the diversity. Now I am in Eastern WA and truly miss that diversity.
Being exposed to different cultures, languages, dress, faiths, etc. is so interesting and inspiring.
Dear Kathy Mason, you pose a hard question. The only thing that came to me was that most of the more recent immigrants, especially, have probably had to flee their homelands. Possibly they will be able to return to their homelands someday. Just like you or I if we had to leave our homeland would yearn to return. Put in that perspective we can have compassion for them in their difficult and unfortunate situation and make them feel welcome. That should lessen your other concerns. “God will overturn, overturn, until he come who’s right it is.” Maybe praying to better understand God’s control of the universe and man would be helpful.
For now just know “…(you) dwell in the house, [the consciousness] of [Love] for ever.” That’s your homeland where you dwell!
I hope Evan sees your post and can be of more help.
Evan, wow, I have been reading the last two weeks worth of your messages.
Just absolutely beautiful and true. Thank you for sharing.