Embracing D-I-V-E-R-S-I-T-Y!

Give me A…

D -ig in

I -nvite the world

V -olunteer

E -xplore

R -espect

S -erious Convictions

I -nitiate

T -each

Y -ou are Diversity

These days when I hear the word Diversity, it just sounds like a cliché “buzz” word. Once you strip away the hype, you understand that the word Diversity actually lives inside of us all. Each one of us comes equipped with a pulsating heart that is ready to be open, ready to give.

The only thing that is stopping you from marching to the beat of your own unique drum is your divided experiences that have been placed inside your memory vault. Sometimes these experiences make it hard for us to embrace Diversity, but all hope shouldn’t be lost. Just as one cannot break a bad habit over night, one cannot expect to embrace diversity in one fell swoop. Instead, it takes determination, dedication and patience.

We tend to easily embrace Diversity during worship services and at the workplace. It isn’t until we are safely behind closed doors that the “devil” subtly joins the conversation; this is the time we are most challenged. Just like fighting the temptation to eat fast foods versus finding the time in preparing a balanced healthy meal, you can train your thoughts to denounce judgment on that which that is different, even in the privacy of your own home.

As we fight for this discipline in both private and public settings, here’s the opportunity to be the captain of the cheering squad and lead the change. D-I-V-E-R-S-I-T-Y; because at the end of the day, the “Y” in Diversity is You!