Vol. IV, Iss. 5 - June 2006
The latest from Student Leadership University

Matthew 22:36-40 contains Jesus' affirmation of the two greatest commandments - First, To Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. Second, To Love your neighbor as you love yourself. These commands may be harder than they seem, especially since the definition of "neighbor" in our increasingly diverse society can mean anyone and everyone -- from those with whom you agree wholeheartedly to those with whom you disagree very sharply, from those who look, breathe, talk, act, and smell like you, to those who look at life from a completely different angle. "Neighbor" is not an easily defined term, nor is it easy to Love one's Neighbor. We tend to love those who are like us, keeping those people in our inner circle, but we hardly take the time to branch out and to experience the challenge of diversity. Why? Because dealing with difference and diversity makes us uncomfortable! We love to be right, we like doing things the way we always do things, and we enjoy feeling safe and secure. The moment diversity and difference is introduced into the equation, we feel uneasy because we are faced with something that is OTHER than what we are used to doing or believing.

So, how do we begin to deal with diversity, especially as applied to our churches and to our own personal lives? A couple of keys -
1) Learn to Listen. One of the most troubling things about many churches and the members who fill their pews is that we have forgotten how to listen. We like to talk, we like to fill other people with our hard-earned knowledge, and we like to tell other people how they should think. It's difficult to learn to listen because we want people to understand us, but never take the time to listen to understand them. One of the main lessons any SLU student will remember is the core principle of Seeking to Understand before Seeking to be Understood. Too often, we forsake the practice of listening in order to convey our own agenda, or we pretend to listen to other people, but we never really hear what they say. Give the gift of listening to your neighbors - including those who believe and act the most divergently from how you do. Listening forms the foundation for how differences and diversity can be dealt with.
2) Have a Humble Heart. No matter how right you think you are, you can still be wrong. No matter how convinced people were pre-Columbus that the earth was flat, they were "flat-out" wrong. Not only must we learn to listen genuinely to other people, we must have a humble heart when we encounter other people. As God and God's ways are higher than us and our ways, we cannot claim to have ever "cornered the market" on God. Moses was not even allowed to see the face of God because God is so holy and so Other. We can catch glimpses of God, but we cannot ever contain God or know everything about God. That means -- certain points of view you so confidently hold to be true may not be perfectly right! Have a humble heart when you deal with others, and realize that none of us can be 100% right. Be humble about what you know and believe, especially as you deal with difference and diversity. You'll be amazed what you learn when you really and truly encounter diversity with humility.
3) Love Unconditionally. Don't just love someone, or your neighbor, because they agree with you. Love others fully and unconditionally, no matter how different from you they are or believe. If we are to model God's love for others, then it must be an all-inclusive and far-ranging love. God loved us when we were yet sinners, says Scripture -- that is, God loved us when we were MOST different from God. We, too, are challenged to love others, especially when they are different from us.

A reminder: The Kingdom of God is not made up entirely of white, American Protestant Christians. God's Kingdom is big, broad, and bold. It is an inclusive kingdom that welcomes all, that challenges us to love outside our own boundaries, and to listen humbly to those around us in the midst of diversity and difference. Accept the challenge of God's Kingdom, and learn to listen humbly and to genuinely love those around you who are the most different from you.

For too many years, the Church has been divided under too many banners - skin color, type of worship, age, method of communion - and the differences of belief have trumped the banner of unity in Christ. Indeed, the Church is in trouble when people associate wars and bitter division more with what church is about than with faithful discipleship to Jesus Christ. There is something inherently powerful about the image given by the Apostle Paul of the Christian body, comprised of many parts, but working together. Yet, it is more difficult than it seems to make diversity work, and it is even difficult to define it.

The Edge wants to hear from you. What does diversity and the church mean to you? How do you deal with diversity? What do you think it means to "love your neighbor" - especially when they are completely different, in belief and thought? What do you make of the hate crimes people commit? What should the response of Christians and the Church be? Have you had any encounters with diversity that have changed how you think or act? Are divisions in the Church necessary? I challenge you to e-mail me your thoughts and opinions.

To be sure, the issue of difference and diversity is one of the hardest issues facing this country and the Church. However, instead of responding to it like the world, with violence, wars, and hate crimes, we must seek to respond like Christ would, with his gentleness, his humility, his love, and his acceptance. The work and challenge of diversity cannot easily be approached or solved, but the challenge of God's Kingdom calls us to task of reaching out inclusively, embracing a love for others that leaves none behind. May we as leaders rise to that calling.

Today’s teens seem to have forgotten how to respect. They blow off their parents, backtalk teachers, and totally ignore those in authority! Ask any teen today if they have disrespected anyone at all in the last week, and you’ll always get the same answer. Yes. Simply put, today’s teens need an attitude adjustment.

A simple solution to this problem starts with Christian teen leaders. One of the most important lessons I learned from SLU was that it is up to us as Christian leaders to set the example. We must say enough is enough! We must show our peers what respect is, and how to be respectful. It may not pay off immediately, but in the long run, we can and will make a difference.

So, my message to you is that, with a little respect, we might just live around happier adults, which, like the domino effect, will make us more cheerful, too. Doesn’t that sound nice to you? Respect isn’t hard. It can be pretty easy, really. Let’s not get swept away by the world’s bad example, and let’s have an attitude that reflects the example of Christ. Let's learn to show respect!

Emily Stephens is a graduate of SLU 101 from Newnan, GA. She is a member of Sonrise Baptist Church. Every month, we feature the story of an SLU graduate whose life has been impacted by SLU in significant ways. Have an SLU story? Send it to us at edge@studentleadership.net