There’s something quietly profound about spending time in a natural landscape that hasn’t been tamed or touched by human hands. Whether it’s in the African bush, a lonely walk in the Galician mountains, or on a mundane path in the Meseta. What strikes me every time is how life insists on diversity. Every insect, tree, bird, and creature is somehow interconnected in a grand, mysterious harmony. Nature doesn’t strive for sameness. It thrives because of its differences.
And I’ve come to believe the same is true for humanity.
Every different culture, cuisine, language, and spiritual tradition feels like a distinct fingerprint of life, carrying its own wisdom, colors, and cadence. They’re not threats to one another but complementary parts of a much larger whole.
When we try to flatten the world into one belief system, one way of being, one “truth,” we violate a deep principle embedded in creation itself.
So many of the “isms” we’ve inherited, such as nationalism, tribalism, and certain flavors of extreme patriotism, tend to dehumanize those who don’t fit neatly into the mold. When difference becomes a threat instead of a teacher, it often escalates into exclusion, oppression, and even violence.
And yet, the ancient sages and mystics remind us: under all these differences, there is unity.
The Baha’i Faith teaches that all religions stem from the same divine source, evolving like chapters in one great story of spiritual awakening with the great spiritual teachers from different religions appearing at a certain chosen time and place.
Mahayana Buddhism tells us that all beings possess Buddha-nature, regardless of the path they walk; the light within is the same.
In Christian Mysticism, creation is declared “good,” and every human made in the image of God, each of us carrying a unique spark of divine purpose. Meister Eckhart, the 13th-century mystic, wrote:
“The eye through which I see God is the same eye through which God sees me; my eye and God’s eye are one eye, one seeing, one knowing, one love.”
Another echo of this truth comes from the writings inspired by Julian of Norwich (c. 1342 – after 1416), an English woman who lived in quiet prayer and seclusion:
“Each soul is a unique expression of God’s love, as varied and wondrous as the colors in creation.”
This isn’t just theology. It’s a call to practice. A spiritual responsibility. If diversity is sacred, then how I relate to it matters. Am I listening? Am I open? Am I willing to be changed by what I don’t yet understand?
This can become a daily transformative spiritual practice:
- What can I learn from the differences I perceive in others?
- What is it that provokes my discomfort, anger, or fear?
- Why am I drawn to some cultures and landscapes, and repelled by others?
These questions may serve as an invitation into a deeper clarity and humility.
In a world increasingly shaped by division, choosing to honor diversity is a form of sacred resistance. It’s a return to the original design of creation: not uniformity, but unity through difference. And when you lean into that, something holy begins to take shape both around you and within.
Reino Gevers – Host of the LivingToBe podcast
P.S.: If you enjoyed this article, you might be interested in my latest book, Sages, Saints, and Sinners. Get it today on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever good books are sold.
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