the Pitt 58: The Missional-orientation of Diversity

As mentioned last week, there are several D's that have been coming up a lot in conversations and mission: Discipleship, Diversity and Development. 

One issue that we haven't spoken to directly yet is diversity.  Of course, when we first hear the word "diversity" we Americans immediately (and almost exclusively) think: ethnic and racial diversity. Which is a good thing!  But there's more to diversity than the racial and ethnic aspect, but we'll get to that in a minute. 

The world needs the church to show it how to live with diversity. The diverse, multi-cultural nations of Europe and America certainly need this, and probably are most in need of it. And I am not saying "The Caucasian/White people of these nations need it," ...we all need it. The Black community, the Hispanic and Asian communities, women and men in these countries need to witness it...they need to see where unity in diversity happens - and according to scripture the communities of Christ should glow with this! Yet as LeRoy Barber points out, Sunday morning is probably the most segregated time in our country.

We have issues with diversity.  I mean one British historian is blaming "Black culture" (practiced by both black and white alike) for the riots in London last year. He needs the church to witness to otherwise. And there was the recent Black mob violence that Philadelphia's Mayor Nutter chastised.

How can we live with ourselves?

One sad fact of diversity is that one poster-child church that was thoroughly diverse and multi-cultural has closed (although it didn't close because it was multi-cultural, there was a variety of other issues, see Ramon Mayo's sharing about the closing for more.).

When I say "diversity" when I talk "church", most people think of what we might call the attractional-orientation of diversity, but I want to explore another trajectory.  While finding it's impetus in the same Jesus, the missional-orientation of diversity takes us in a different direction from the attractional-orientation of diversity. I want to emphasize at this point that I'm not saying attractional church isn't a valid form of church, of course it is, but typically they plan to be resource-rich as well, and many churches and faith communities aren't, but can still practice diversity.

In the good attractional churches that I have been to - like Vineyard Columbus highlighted recently in this article - the way diversity happens is usually through recruitment in leadership and ministry positions, then those diverse people are put on stage before people and also manage and initiate the programmatic endeavours of the church to bring the community into their space. 

The missional-orientation of diversity happens differently, and perhaps more organically (which I hope we realize isn't jusy haphazard, but carefully intentional as well) and it happens 'out there'. 

The missional-orientation of diversity doesn't ask "who have we gathered?" but "who are we among and who is among us?"  Who counts me as their friend?  Who has invited us into their home...their community....their heart?  And these kinds of questions might challenge us to go beyond the racial/ethnic diversity aspect and ask: are the poor among us?  are we multi-generational?  are we multi-gender? Without embracing this diversity, we may miss some of what God is saying...but in embracing these, we move toward wholeness.

Maybe the faultline of the good news of the Reign of God in Christ Jesus in our cities lies along the lines of self-imposed segregation so evident on Sunday morning worship gatherings, where like gathers with like unless you are more intentional; yet what about the humble diversity of those embodying Christ to their neighborhood and city, out among the community, the city? If we inhabit this faultline and 'cross over' perhaps the Spirit will move at a plate-tectonic level to quake some souls and bring light to the diverse communities with whom we live...

[to be continued...]