Christian Topics

In the West, it has become normal to see a wide range of people in our High streets and cities. In the anglosphere, it is common to hear languages other than the native English spoken in the cities and even signage now displays languages other than English in some places. This change to the country’s population has brought cheap political phrases such as ‘diversity is our strength’ and politicians asserting that Britain, USA, Australia, Canada, and the like are ‘multicultural societies.’ This statement is becoming increasingly true. However, the first statement ‘diversity is our strength’ has yet to be confirmed via example.

In the UK over the past two years, we have seen the following:

Hong Konger refugees attacked by CCP supporting Chinese immigrants reported by the Radio Free Asia. (https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/probe-11292021110329.html)

Muslim and Hindu faceoffs in Leicester reported by News Bharati. The link therefore might show bias towards the Hindus.(https://www.newsbharati.com/Encyc/2022/9/7/Muslim-mob-hunt-down-Hindus-in-the-UK-after-India-s-win-against-Pakistan.html#:~:text=Leicester%2C%20Sept%207%3A%20In%20a,that%20saw%20India%20defeat%20Pakistan.)

Grooming gangs reported by The Conversation. (https://theconversation.com/asian-grooming-gangs-how-ethnicity-made-authorities-wary-of-investigating-child-sexual-abuse-130099)

Palestine and Israel unrest in the UK reported by the Daily Mail. (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9568769/Violence-erupts-London-pro-Palestine-activists-clash-police.html)

It is hard to see how the diversity is our strength. What I noticed however is that in the Church ‘diversity is our strength’ could be a truthful statement. The difference between diversity on a macroscale of a country compared to say your local church is that the diversity in the church is purely multiracial. In the grand scheme of the country, it is the diversity of different priorities and cultures. When someone from Africa originally enters an English church, the teleology of the church does not change because they come to church with the same goal as the white British family next to them. That goal is to grow their relationship with Jesus. The strength of diversity in the church is twofold. The first positive is that a new member is initiated into the body of Christ which allows evangelizing to more people. The second strength is that it realizes God’s plan that we will live in God’s glory as one people. To see a slice of heaven on earth is a huge blessing.

The Decision Lab explores in group biases in the included link https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/in-group-bias. Whether we like it or to there is often an bias we are unable to escape. It can affect who we listen to and who we will speak to. Once a Christian these group biases change from material to spiritual and we have an ingroup preference towards other Christians. Someone from Arab heritage who maybe now an nonpracticing Muslim could be far more willing to listen to a man or women of the same heritage speak of Jesus than perhaps a native Brit. Now that Britain is multiracial there is a huge opportunity to evangelize a range of people from different cultures. Immigrants understandably often holiday to their country of origin which is another opportunity for the Gospel to spread beyond borders.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols has pointed out in a telegraph article that immigration has been propping up Christianity in Britain. The African and Eastern European immigrant in particular come to the UK as devote Christians being sure to visit church each Sunday. Immigration has given a lifeline to churches in the UK.

Jesus brings us together and is THE unifying factor. In countries like the UK that have all but abandoned Jesus, there is no unifying factor that can bring strength to the country’s diversity. That is why we see countries like the UK struggle to plaster over fragmented communities.

Of course, some churches don’t have this unification that can be practical reasons such as language, however, there is somewhere the sin of racism, where they don’t see our brothers and sisters as equal, persists. I have never seen such a church in my country, the UK. I am sure however these churches do exist around the globe, and I pray that they will see their sin more clearly and change their ways. The blood of Jesus was a covenant for the Gentiles as well as the Jews. Following Jesus is for all to create a new Israel.
The point of this article is to express that differences do not unify people, Jesus does. But diversity does offer opportunities that can strengthen the Christ oriented Church.

Alex
Christian Topics
Co-founder