Monthly Archives: March 2023

The month of February, just concluded was Black History month. This year’s celebrations saw many companies continue their quest for diversity, equity and inclusion with a degree of urgency not seen before the death of George Floyd. What is it? How to do it in a sustainable manner? What is the return on investment? Who benefits? 

 A quick check of the literature reveals that this trending topic is largely being defined and considered through a secular lens. In this blog, I explore more closely the concept of inclusivity through a Biblical lens.                                  

Inclusivity is commonly defined as the practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those having physical or intellectual disabilities or belonging to other minority groups.[1]

Is there a theological basis for inclusivity?  Certainly. God demonstrates inclusivity throughout scripture through myriad stories: the rescue of Rahab, a Canaanite, from one of the hated enemy groups of Israel; the redemption of Ruth, a pagan Moabitess, and member of an accursed race; and the saving of the people of Nineveh in spite of Jonah’s unwillingness to warn them about impending destruction.

In the New Testament, Jesus, our Saviour, is born, not in a palace in Jerusalem, but near a cattle trough in the small town of Bethlehem. Angels announced his birth, not to the powerful or rich, but to humble shepherds, who were not even permitted as witnesses in a court of law.

For his inner circle, Jesus chose people who were so diverse they would have struggled to be in the same room together under normal circumstances. There was Peter, impulsive, ambitious, self-assertive, and quick to commit without fully understanding the meaning of Jesus’ words or actions; and James and John, nick-named the “Sons of Thunder” by Jesus because they wanted to burn up a city when the people refused to welcome Jesus;  Simon from the Zealots, a group that fought against Roman rule; and Matthew, who collected taxes on Rome’s behalf.

In a society where the witness of a woman was not admitted in court, Jesus first directly acknowledged his title of Messiah to a Samaritan woman of questionable reputation, who promptly spread the news to her community (John 4:25-42). He was compassionate towards social outcasts. He noticed people that others ignored or rejected. He stopped to hear the cries of those excluded from Jewish society—the blind, the lame, the mentally ill, and lepers. He honoured the despised by eating at their table (Luke19:5).

At his resurrection, he chose to appear to Mary Magdalene first, and asked her to carry the joyful news to the rest of his disciples (John 20:17,18).

We can see from these examples that during his ministry, Jesus was radically inclusive. He didn’t just let people of all kinds tag along, he involved them and moved them from a place where they were of no value, to places of importance.

Though God requires it, and Jesus demonstrated it, being inclusive does not come naturally to human beings. We tend to compete rather than to work together, and we struggle to empathize with people who are not like us.

The Book of Acts clearly shows how difficult this could be. Having witnessed their radical inclusion as believers, Peter still needed both a vision from God and the miraculous outpouring of the Holy Spirit to persuade him that Gentiles were to be included in the family of God, without them needing to become Jews (Acts 10).

There were similar problems in Corinth where divisions ran deep along many lines, including the following of different leaders, divisions over meat offered to idols, and some members being seen as more important than others. The Apostle Paul publicly lectured Peter for eating separately from Gentiles, due to peer pressure from visiting Jews (Galatians 2:11-14).

For many, the requirement to be more inclusive was asking them to change deeply-ingrained habits of a lifetime but Paul, tackles these issues one by one and argues for a united body of believers.  In 1 Corinthians 8:11, he says the church is “one body” and each member is important, “for whom Christ died”.  

Do you find yourself struggling to be generous towards people who are different from you, or who aren’t part of your family or friendship group? Are you guilty of unfair treatment such as name-calling, work discrimination, gender stereo-typing, bullying, and harassment? Is your attention often attracted to popular people, rather than those who are alone or have problems? Are you introverted, and struggle to relate to people who are usually part of a noisy, extroverted group?

Let’s think about how you can be more open to connection with others, and more closely follow Jesus’ example of radical inclusivity. It takes thought, intentionality, practice, and Holy Ghost power.

[1] https://www.google.com/search?q=inclusivity+definition&oq=inclusivity+&aqs=chrome.4.69i57j0i433i512j0i131i433i512j0i512l7.6426j1j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

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