Baptisms at our church are wondrous! This morning I stood as the procession entered and was enchanted by the obvious diversity of color and texture that the participants brought to our parish family. Our Lady of Nazareth Church is pretty homogeneous: white middle class American suburbia. But this morning we welcomed two infants into the waters of baptism and as members of our parish family. What diversity they brought not only in skin color, language, and culture, but also in dress. The women of the African immigrant family wore the traditional dress of their country, bright reds, pinks, yellows and green with intricate textures handmade by skilled dressmakers. Fabric was wrapped and tucked, smocked and pleated to fit around the body. The effect was dazzling.
I reflected on the beauty we find in diversity. The many shades of green on the mountain sides; the wide array of colors found in flowers as they bloom throughout the season. Diversity is the first of the ecological principles. All nature is made up of many species of animals, plants, insects, and living things we cannot even see. The more different life forms there are in a given place, the healthier is that place. It is God's plan.
1Corinthians 12:12
As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ.....There are many parts but one body.
It's the same for us, the more different kinds of people, the healthier are our communities. When we wrap our arms around all our differences, learning to love and share our gifts, we grow strong together.
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