At the school I serve as chaplain, I was recently asked to provide some Scriptural reflections on our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Earlier, I did an essay for my previous school on how these values are rooted in Episcopal Identity and the foundational beliefs and prayers of the Episcopal Church. Not only that, but the Christian vision of God leads us to these values, because the very idea of God as the Trinity leads us to embrace diversity, and the Incarnation of God in Christ leads us to embrace inclusion. These ideas of God are, in turn, rooted in the self-revelation of God which is recorded in Scripture. So now it is time to dig into the foundational texts of the whole Christian Faith, and the founding stories of Jesus and his Apostles, to understand how they inspire us to create communities of diversity, inclusion, equity, and justice.
This is not an exhaustive nor authoritative list, merely the texts I have often used when preaching in chapel, and teaching Scripture in the classroom. It should not be seen as anything like a comprehensive theory or structure for modern institutional practices of equity, diversity, and inclusion. However, it can be seen as a remedy for the often popular idea that Scripture is somehow "anti" diversity, equity, and inclusion. On the contrary, the overall trajectory of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation paints a picture of God's Inclusive Love for all peoples, tribes, and tongues. These values are not alien to Scripture or projected onto Scripture. Rather, they are rooted in Scripture and grow out of Scripture.
With that said, here are the main Scriptures that help me think through diversity, equity, and inclusion through a Biblical lens. If you would like a more exhaustive exploration of Scriptures that deal with these themes, I would recommend the CEV Poverty and Justice Study Bible. However, even my short list of key Scriptures presents a lot of relevant information. So I will try to summarize and condense and make it easy to skim in five sections:
1. Inclusion of Neighbors, Immigrants, and Foreigners
From the Torah to the Gospels, it is stressed that God's people are not just called to love those who are like them and from the same tribe as them. But they are also called to love anyone they are in proximity with:
Leviticus 19.18, 19.34
[18] You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD… [34] The immigrant who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the immigrant as yourself, for you were an immigrant in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
Jesus' re-affirms the centrality of loving our neighbors, not once, but three times in the Great Commandments found in Matthew 22.36-40, Mark 12.28-34, and Luke 10.25-28. He goes on to qualify this by telling his disciples to love others with the same self-sacrificial, unconditional Love that he loves them in John 13.34-35 and 15.11-12. He says that it is this inclusive and challenging Love that is the hallmark of those who follow him: "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
Jesus of course is drawing on the deep heritage and tradition found in the Hebrew Scriptures and Prophets. There are many passages which declare that God's desire is for his love and inclusion to reach out beyond the borders of Judaea to the ends of the Earth. This includes those who are members of other nations. For instance:
Psalm 87.4-7
[4] Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon; Philistia too, and Tyre, with Ethiopia— “This one was born there,” they say. [5] And of Zion (i.e. Jerusalem) it shall be said, “This one and that one were born in it”; for the Most High himself will establish it. [6] The LORD records, as he registers the Nations, “This one was born there.”
The prophets go as far as saying that God considers all nations and cultures and peoples equally his, and equal to Israel in God's sight, even in all their diversity:
Amos 9.7,11-12
[7] Are you not like the Ethiopians to me, O people of Israel? says the LORD. Did I not bring Israel up from the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Arameans from Kir? [11] On that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen, and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old; [12] in order that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by my name, says the LORD who does this.
This is re-emphasized by Paul in the New Testament when he is proclaiming the Good News to the Athenians:
Acts 17.26-28
[26] From one ancestor God made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, [27] so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. [28] For "In him we live and move and have our being"; as even some of your own poets have said, "For we too are his offspring."
Interestingly, Paul's quotes in the last passage were not drawn from Jewish Scripture, but from the Pagan writers Aratus and Cleanthes. This vision of unity across cultural and even national divides is echoed in the ministry of Jesus. Although he ministered among one cultural group, he was sure to challenge and enlarge their sense of who is worthy and accepted in God's sight. This embrace of diversity and attempt to see the world through the eyes of those who are different is embodied in Paul's own ministry. This is what he said about his acceptance of cultural and ethnic diversity:
1 Corinthians 9.19–23
[19] For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. [20] To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. [21] To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. [22] To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. [23] I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.
This expands and makes explicit passages such as Luke 10.29-37 where Jesus teaches the parable of the "Good Samaritan". Samaritans and Jews in the first century hated and excluded one another. This story deliberately overturns this kind of exclusion in favor of inclusion and care. This is echoed by Jesus' own choice of disciples, which included men and women from the rich and poor classes, as well as Tax Collectors (who were on the side of the Romans) and Zealots (who were on the side of Judaean Nationalism).
This theme of "diversity in unity" reaches its apex in the vision of the End of History supplied in the Book of Revelation. In that vision, we hear all of heaven proclaiming the diversity of every tribe and tongue unified in worship together:
Revelation 5.9-10
[9] “Worthy are you [i.e. Christ] to receive the scroll and to break open its seals, for you were slain and with your blood you purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue, people and nation. [10] You made them a kingdom and priests for our God, and they will reign on earth.”
2. Inclusion of Diversity into Unity
The New Testament vision of unity in Christ is the very opposite of a monolithic sameness. Rather, it is affirmed over and over that our specific diversity is knit together in a greater unity by God's Love. In places like Colossians 3.11 and Galatians 3.28 we are told that new life in Christ unifies Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, Barbarian and Scythian, male and female, slave and free, because "Christ is all and in all". This reaches a crescendo in Romans 12 and 1Corinthians 12 when we are told that the Body of Christ is made of very different members united by the same Spirit:
1 Corinthians 12.12-27
[12] For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ... [24] God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, [25] that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. [26] If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. [27] Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
Note here that when one member is vulnerable or in need, it is treated with special dignity and cared for differently. This reminds us that in our communities, we need to look out for groups and individuals that are vulnerable and marginalized, and raise them up in dignity and concern. Although each and every life matters at all times, there are specific times when we need to be reminded that specific groups and specific lives matter in God's sight. Jesus brings this insight home using the image of a shepherd:
Matthew 18.12-14
[12] Jesus said: What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? [13] And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. [14] So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.
Here Jesus gives a very specific "metric" for concern for those who are vulnerable and marginalized, lost and alone: If they are even 1 in 100, or only 1% of the population, we need to make special efforts to care for them and highlight their dignity and value. Of course, it is obvious that this also means for us to go out of our way to help ANYONE, whether they are 1 in 100 or 1 in 1 million. Yet, this also gives us the mandate to make sure our communities are as inclusive as possible for every group with special needs and special concerns.
This also leads us to realize that we simply cannot hate or demonize or exclude anyone as "less than" and be in harmony with the Love of God. Right after affirming twice that "God is Love" in 1John 4.8-16, the Scriptures go on to emphasize that this does not leave us any room to exclude anyone from that Love:
1John 4.20-21
[20] Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. [21] The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.
In fact, if we ever start seeing one person or one group as more important or more worthy than any other group, we have begun to miss the point of God's Love:
James 2.8-9
[8] You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” [9] But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. (cf. Leviticus 19:15; Deuteronomy 1:17)
3. Inclusion of the Vulnerable and Needy
Economic disparity is the context for many of the Biblical affirmations about treating all with equity and not showing partiality. This is tied directly with the Hebrew Scriptures' constant insistence on justice and equity for every human being.
The Hebrew word for justice is "Mishpat", and it occurs over 400 times in the Old Testament, and is often associated with the full inclusion of the needy and poor, the widow and the orphan, in God's covenant community. As Deuteronomy 10.18 puts it: God "does justice [mishpat] for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing". In the New Testament the word "just" and "justice" come from the Greek root word "dikaios" which is used hundreds of times in various versions. Jesus says that those who are "dikaios" (just or righteous) are those who feed the hungry, and clothe the naked, and help the needy. This is because Jesus says "whatever you have done for the least of these brothers and sisters, you have done for me":
Matthew 25.35-40
[35] Jesus said: I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, [36] I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ [37] “Then the righteous [Greek "dikaios"] will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? [38] When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? [39] When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ [40] “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
This teaching was modelled by Jesus himself, who always welcomed, healed, and fed people BEFORE challenging them with his teachings. His inclusion of them and love for them always preceded and motivated his ministry to them. This why, in the Lord's Prayer, he teaches us that all people have a "Father in Heaven", and it is the Father's will to give all people the "daily bread" they need to survive and thrive. This inclusion of all in God's Love, and meeting the needs of all through God's Love, is what it means for God's "Kingdom to come, and his will to be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven". This is why the inclusion and liberation of the poor and needy and vulnerable was a core value in Jesus' ministry. He sums up his vision of the inclusion of the needy by quoting the prophet Isaiah (from 61.1-2):
Luke 4.17-19
[17] Jesus unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: [18] “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, [19] to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
4. Inclusion of "Eunuchs" and all-embracing GRACE
This ministry of radical hospitality and inclusion leads the Biblical narratives into realms that may surprise us. In light of our current debates over gender and sexuality, there is an interesting Biblical parallel in people who were called "Eunuchs". Eunuchs were neither male nor female in ancient cultures. They were sometimes people who were born without distinct sexual organs, but more often they were boys who were castrated and rendered "non-male" (at least for the purposes of procreation). They could not be married in ancient societies, and were excluded from "traditional" family arrangements.
In early Hebrew thought eunuchs were excluded from Temple worship, along with a whole host of people considered "defective" (see Deuteronomy 23.1, Leviticus 21.16-23, 22.22-25). However, this changed as God revealed that God accepted eunuchs, along with disabled persons, as members of his own people. By the time of the Hebrew prophetic movement, it is realized that faithful eunuchs have a full share in God's covenant people (see Isaiah 56). Christ's preaching clearly teaches that being a "eunuch" is not only acceptable, but can be a divinely-inspired vocation (see Matthew 19.10-12). Indeed, one of the first Gentile converts— and according to Church tradition the Founder of the Ethiopian Church— was a eunuch (Acts 8.26-40).
Thus, it is instructive to actually read Isaiah to see how God's will is for the full inclusion of all kinds of people in God's Covenant, including eunuchs and foreigners:
Isaiah 56.3-7
[3] Do not let the foreigner joined to the LORD say, “The LORD will surely separate me from his people”; and do not let the eunuch say, “I am just a dry tree.” [4] For thus says the LORD: To the eunuchs who keep my sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, [5] I will give, in my house and within my walls, a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. [6] And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, all who keep the sabbath, and do not profane it, and hold fast my covenant— [7] these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer.
In God's Kingdom of Love and Peace and Joy, no one is "defective". No one is "less than". No one is anything less than a beloved child of God, made in God's image, and worthy of dignity and respect. In the inclusion of eunuchs we find an open invitation to the inclusion of all kinds of people, such as LGBTQ persons, who do not fit into the gender and sexual norms of male and female heterosexuals. In the inclusion of foreigners, we find an open invitation to the inclusion of all kinds of ethnicities and cultures. This directly impacts how we view and treat all kinds of people who are different from us, and how we extend the unmerited gift of God’s grace to every type of person inclusive of:
Gender or Sexuality
Race or Ethnicity
Ability or Age
Creed or Culture
Economic Class or Status
This acronym of “GRACE” reminds us that “from Christ’s fullness we have ALL received grace upon grace” (John 1.16). And if Christ has lavishly shared his grace with us all to heal and sustain us, then we ought to lavish that same grace on every category of person included in GRACE.
5. Inclusion, Equity, and welcoming "The Other"
This, at last, leads us to some of Scripture's definitive statements of the value of including diverse persons in God's Love. One of the clearest statements is the Golden Rule of reciprocity, where Christ calls us to empathy by telling us to extend to others the same grace and care that we would want for ourselves:
Matthew 7.1-2, 12
[1] “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. [2] For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you... [12] So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Jesus' does not allow us the option of only applying this "Golden Rule" to people who are like us. He clearly calls us to extend this moral value to those who differ most from us in every way. He says:
Matthew 5.46-48
[46] For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? [47] And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? [48] Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Perfect, here, is defined in terms of loving and including those who are radically different from us in the same way that God— who is radically above and beyond all of us— welcomes and includes us in Love. This leads Paul to sum up God's Law of Love in terms of loving "The Other":
Romans 13.8-10
[8] Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves the other has fulfilled the law. [9] The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet”; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” [10] Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.
In verse 8, the phrase "the other" means one who is heterogeneous from us (it is in fact the Greek word "heteros"). We are not just called to love those who are "the same" or "homogenous" with us. We are deliberately called to look beyond and welcome God's life in the person of those who are different and other to our expectations. This at last leads us to the most concise statement about radical hospitality and gracious inclusion in Scripture:
Romans 15.7
Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
What brings God glory? Full human flourishing and the abundant life of every person made in the image of God! As Saint Irenaeus once said: The Glory of God is humanity fully alive. Only a community that is committed to that kind of inclusive Love can fully display the glory that God created humankind for. The only response is really to pray, and ask God to make us into this kind of community, and then work together with God’s grace to accomplish it. And we can begin with our prayer “for the Diversity of Races and Cultures” on page 840 of the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer:
O God, who created all peoples in your image, we thank you for the wonderful diversity of races and cultures in this world. Enrich our lives by ever-widening circles of fellowship, and show us your presence in those who differ most from us, until our knowledge of your love is made perfect in our love for all your children; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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