Difference

I was involved in two conversations that centered on the subject of differences between people. Which got me to thinking.

In the earlier conversation we discussed the question of difference as it applied to the church context. It is no surprise that Sunday morning is probably on the most segregated time in America as churches gather (and this is ironic) to preview what will be like in then end. Often times congregants think and speak nostalgically about the time when people from every tribe and tongue will finally get along.

Question: if the ultimate goal will be lived mutually with people from diverse backgrounds, why aren't we interested in engaging that aspect of the future now? I know you've heard the other critiques about the foolishness of racial discrimination in the church so I bore you with that.

The other party in this conversation hinted that there is a sense in which an appreciation for that which is different permits minimal contact. We were talking here about phenomenon that is happening at churches across the Twin Cities metro where caucasion congregation meet in the morning and a non-white group uses the facilities for services later on in the day.

The other conversation I was part focused on the processes and experiences of being an outsider in the confines of a social majority. Those of us who happen to be outsiders in this particular context were asked about what insiders should know to ease the process.

This brought me back to thoughts I've had in the past about the relationships in a communal community. Here's an excerpt:

The community paradigm is a much better model of operation. From the very roots of the word—common unity—there is a deep regard for the value of each being. You can’t have common interests if you don’t individual interests. Notice, it’s about unity itself not unity around something else. Whatever community you can think of exists for the reason of unity. This allows the community approach to be more inclusive than the team approach: anyone, regardless of how or what they can do for cause is open to join the community because it exists for the unity of the interests of all individuals. Implicit in this is the idea that each individual and the premium they place on the goal is important. The community idea, because it draws from those things that you and I have as human beings, lends itself accessible to all people regardless of ability, race/gender or creed.

These thoughts together with Buber's opinion on the actualization of the "Thou" in human interaction have me thinking that the best appreciation of difference in community comes when we can welcome, nurture, and appreciate difference in community. This demands close proximity and sacrifice.

We should value difference from close up. What say you?