On the front of the T-shirt is the message "Celebrate Diversity." It's printed beneath a small globe. On the back of the shirt, flags from over two hundred nations spread out in a profusion of color and pattern. The exuberant design gives the sense of a coming together in celebration.
Regrettably, mankind doesn't always celebrate differences. Nationalism, sectarianism, racism, can spark intolerance and hostility. But do these or other isms really result from diversity? The carnal mind would answer yes. This supposed mentality promotes the commonly held conviction that identity exists in matter and is classified materially. In fact, though, this is a misconception of reality, and this misconception—not diversity in its highest sense—is what would obstruct harmony. This becomes clearer as we understand identity and diversity as originating in infinite Spirit. The Psalmist said, "O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches." Ps. 104:24
Viewed as the outcome of all-inclusive Mind, diversity is seen to be wholly spiritual, completely apart from fleshly origin and background. This understanding can be a practical help in responding constructively to the expression of diversity among individuals and nations. It can help us see that the key to harmony needn't be outward or material similarity, like the "one language" that preceded Babel. See Gen. 11:1-9 Rather, harmony follows from a recognition of man's inherent spiritual unity with God as His image, as the apostles showed on the Day of Pentecost when they were gathered "with one accord." See Acts 2:1-21 This spiritual unity preserves individuality and transcends material differences.
