'Handling Diversity'

I’ve often heard it said that we are to ‘love the sinner, but not his sin’. I have also searched the pages of Scripture to find support for this kind of approach in accepting others. The search has led me to thinking about how different cultures vary in directness in language. I’ve learned that western culture tends to separate the person from the problem, so we can speak to a problem without offending the person. The person is separated from the action. This allows us to criticize ideas, behaviors and failures of others. I’ve had people say to me, “I have nothing against you personally, but…” It’s harder to accept when someone says, “I’m only saying this because I have your best interest in mind.” Or worse yet, “Don’t take me wrong, but…” The problem with this is that the difference between the person and the behavior or idea is not very precise. Western cultures hold a high value on logic and truth, even at the cost of human dignity. It’s acceptable to evaluate and critique one another’s ideas so that the ‘smart’ person wins the argument and gains the approval of others by destroying the other person’s idea.

Growing up in cultures that shared other values, harmony, solidarity and group identity as primary values, the distinction to ‘love the sinner, but not his sin’ didn’t fit. The person and the idea or behavior are one. To criticize my idea, behavior, or words is to criticize me as a person. The truth about a person depends on his character, and his truth depends on the character of his words. There is no dichotomy between the person and the words or acts.

When we engage in any serious interaction with others, such as when ‘Thinking through the Bible’ together, we soon begin to realize that others may hold different values and use different rules to respond to situations. What we do begin to notice is that the majority of the people in the world value relationships above most other values. So they want to be able to ask their questions, share their insights from reading and thinking through the Bible, and listen to the views of others, all in an environment of trust and respect. Some build trust by showing themselves competent in handling biblical truths, whereas others tend to build trust by spending time together where they listen and respond. The best way to build trust in a group is to learn to observe, ask nonjudgmental questions, have an attitude of learning from each other, and seek understanding when clarification is needed. It helps to think of differences as neither good nor bad (“I like that” or “I don’t like that”). Rather, we can think of them as curious differences that exist for good reasons.

Wouldn’t it be a marvelous demonstration of love and friendship if our community could hear about and even witness how we are helping each other in our pursuit of God in ‘Thinking through the Bible’?

(Once again, my thoughts for this article were stimulated by Duane Elmer’s book, ‘Cross-Cultural Conflict’, chapter 4)