By Carmen F. Aguinaco

After having been lost for a long time, Estela was desolate when she arrived at her new home in a foreign country. The monotony of the houses—they all looked the same and had more or less the same color—made it difficult to distinguish where she lived. The lack of diversity made her sad and frustrated. It is often said that, variety is the spice of life. But this is not the only reason why God seems to have created everything with a wide variety of colors, forms, species, and races that are so enormous, it may even seem to be a bit extravagant.

God did not create diversity so we wouldn’t be bored or just to please us, although not being bored and enjoying ourselves could have positive results.

Human beings are limited and always seem to be looking for something beyond them. God, however, is unlimited because love has no limits nor is it confined to set boundaries. God cre¬ated diversity because it is love and love is infinite. And this is why diversity is essential; if it didn’t exist, all his fullness could not be expressed in the person of God. It is also essential because, as St. Paul says, Christ gives himself completely in the Eucharist and makes us his own Body. And as we know well, a body is diverse. No one would consider rejecting their liver or feet. Furthermore, we want these to be where they are, even if they are different from the heart or hands. Everything has its purpose. To be a part of God’s family implies being part of the body of Christ, to become the Eucharist for others.

Diversity is essential because without it, we would not know who we are. It is essential because we would not be able to recognize those we love, if everyone were like us. Diversity forces us to come out of ourselves and grow. Diversity calls us to leap over frontiers, and in doing so, find ourselves and God, who is infinite and multicolor.

Your Turn
Are you bothered by differences? Are you scared by what is different? What have you learned from your contact with different people?