The Diversity Culture
Stop for just a moment and think. Clear your mind and take a breath. Consider your worldview – your perspectives, points of view, political leanings, religious beliefs…the very lens through which you see your world. Now, think carefully – who is the person that represents the most complete opposite end of the spectrum? Generally, humans reserve trust and friendship with people they believe are most like them – and tend to demonize and stereotype those most different from them.
For many in America today, conservative Christians and the liberal secularists are on opposite ends of the spectrum. One tends to hang out on Sunday mornings, the other on Saturday nights. One votes for the Democrat, the other votes for the Republican. The worst evil for one is social deviance, whereas the other shuns bigotry. One is urban, one is suburban. One wears suits, the other has dreadlocks. One is PC one is Mac. You get the picture.
Both live in worlds in which the other has no place. Both exist in tight bubbles that exclude others. In these secluded tribes, they can lob ideological grenades at other tribes and receive comfort from their peers. All the while the chasm between people and Truth grows wider.
I had never heard of Matthew Raley when I picked up The Diversity Culture: Creating Conversations of Faith with Buddhist Baristas, Agnostic Students, Aging Hippies, Political Activists, and Everyone in Between. He speaks to this reality of ideological tribalism with humility and truth. He draws on the story of Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the well, [youversion]John 4:1-26[/youversion], as a prime example of how Jesus engaged the “other” not as a propped-up caricature, but as a unique individual. Samaritans and Jews distrusted each other politically, religiously, and even the other tribe’s very right to exist. Sounds familiar even today, doesn’t it?
Jesus sat down next to the well, and began to cross barriers – claiming that mistakes had been made in both Jewish and Samaritan tribes in the identity of the other – both groups had inherited from their tribesmen lies about the other group. When she showed signs that she was willing to take people (and life) case by case (rather than broad brushing stereotypes) he was able to work with her – and introduce her to the Living Water.
But herein lies the rub – do people make life-changing decisions about faith and worldview as a group, or as individuals? Raley says its about “crowbar-ing people away from their groupthink” (whether Christian or secular or whatever) and asking them to think critically about what they personally believe to be true. It is at this point that I think I differ from Raley.
I agree that to really help someone think critically about an issue, sometimes you have to remove their normal filters and lenses their culture gives them and let them try their best to think for themselves. Other times there’s just not enough will-power in the person to do that, and if done properly, “salvation can come to the whole household,” as it does all over Acts. Sometimes people come to Christ as individuals, extricated from their culture (Ethiopian eunuch, Samaritan woman at the well), and sometimes its through their community (Philippian jailer’s family, Cornelius’ household, etc.).
He admits that most people in the “Diversity Culture” as he coins it, grow up with a “street postmodernism” – and are not really sure why they hold such pluralistic views – they know perfectly well that right and wrong exist, but “what they don’t necessarily know is how to integrate unchanging principles into lives that are full of change.” (Raley, 50) Christians too believe things without knowing exactly why – and they still are distrustful of those with different views. What ends up happening is a world full of people who hate each other for reasons they can’t explain. Back to stereotypes.
Remember that archetypal person who you distrust the most, and put an actual face on them – someone you know at work, etc. Find their uniqueness – something that shatters the stereotype you have of them. Maybe its a hipster who listens to Kenny-G, or a liberal who secretly watches reruns of Glenn Beck. You might just find yourself like the Samaritan woman at the well did, face to face with a the most important relationship of your life that you never saw coming.
Spirituality 
Agent B 12:27 am on December 5, 2009 Permalink
I don’t think any real human listens to Kenny G
Guy Muse 11:35 am on December 6, 2009 Permalink
A lot to chew on in this post. For me it is a good way to define who the “Samaritans” are amongst us. Often we can identify our Jerusalem, Judea, and have a good idea about who the “ends of the earth” are, but few of us can clearly put a face to the Samaritans in our midst.
Sean Landolt 6:48 pm on December 12, 2009 Permalink
This is a good post and I’m interested in where you find the resources and what drew you to them. Why does inter-religious conversation catch your eye?
Up in Canada I’m finding that people are very closed off from any religious conversation. Its not even a deeply personal issue its just a social taboo to talk about it. You can’t open up about it until you have developed a close friendship where you are each sharing your opinions openly. This is terribly frustrating becuase it means I have to put a lot into a person before I find out where they stand with God (on a side note though this does force you to learn how to love poeple for you they are rather than trying to change them). I’m doing a little looking around for inter-religious conversation, but I haven’t found anything yet. I think the culture up here in general is more interested in moving up in social status than in spirituality. This is probably why the culture has been seperated from Christianity sence the sixties. Once Christianity no longer held social statues people quite going to church. But I’m pritty new to the area, and people are like unions up here. Thanks for the post you got me thinkin’. And seriously how are you finding these books?
Mark 7:15 pm on December 12, 2009 Permalink
Yo Sean! I’m with the Ooze Viral Bloggers, an online Magazine that does among other things book reviews. They send me a free book as long as I do a review of it (good or bad).
Hey – ya otta check out Meetup.com – its a great way to link up with people in your area. Each time a new “spirituality” meetup group starts in my neighborhood, Meetup.com sends me an email notifying me of it. Pretty cool! Some groups are wacko, others are legit. That’s how we linked up with these guys – a great resource.