Over the winter I received a phone call asking if we needed jackets. Of course, I said yes. The caller was asking for her daughter. This young lady is a high school student in California. She is a member of her school’s Diversity club.

Recently this young lady, her family and several others visited the center. She is an incredible person. She told me of some of the things her group is doing at her Christian school. She is part of the 30 percent of her school that is Asian. During our discussions about racism and how the native people are treated, she and the others talked about some of the things they face.

She gave me a shirt that she had designed. (It is the photo for this post.)

She is right. Diversity Matters. If we are only around people like us, we develop a warped sense of the world. I do not care if we are taking politics, race, faith or whatever, we are much better if we have a diversity of viewpoints, life experiences, faiths etc. around us. It will help shape our world view. It will help keep us from other people. It is much harder to dislike a class of people if you get to know them.

Surrounding yourself only with people who look, think and act like you do, you are shortchanging your growth. God gave a wonderful world filled with a variety of people. I pray that your circle includes a diverse assortment.

God tells us to love everyone, no exceptions. We are called to love others as God loves us. I am glad you are in my circle of life. I hope to learn from all of you.