Friday
of the 4th Week of Lent
March 20, 2015 8:30am
In some of our schools and other
institutions today there is an emphasis on diversity.
The idea here is that it is important
for children and teenagers and adults to be exposed to diversity.
I know a professional who does
diversity training for organizations.
This seems to me to be a good
idea and I say that based on today’s readings.
In the first reading, the people
are plotting against a person whom they call “the just one.”
They actually see this man as
good, but the problem is that he is different from them.
They say: “His life is not like that of others, and different are his ways.”
True, his life and lifestyle and
even some of what he said called them and their life and lifestyle into
question.
That was threatening to them.
So, “the just one’s” 1) being different and 2) his challenging them a
bit were threatening.
They were afraid of him and so
they went after him – to attack and torture.
This, of course, is precisely
what happens to Jesus and today’s gospel shows one of the scenes where this
gets expressed.
So, diversity – it is a good
thing.
We need to experience those who
are different in race or religion or culture or even in their Catholic thinking
about things.
If we truly experience and listen
to the other person, we are far less likely to persecute, demonize with our
tongues or exclude or distance with our actions.
But we are only asked to see others
as persons, different from us, but also the same in having a unique life story
just as we do.
What happened in the readings
today can happen again today – and even be done by us.
