“The best way to get your audience larger and more consistent is to be more divisive and more radical and criticize those who cater to or kowtow to other forces.”
–Norman Ornstein
For some reason, the topic of divisiveness came to mind as I sat to write this morning. Perhaps, because I took a quick scan of Facebook? So, I did a search for quotes for inspiration and, as expected, the quotes on divisiveness were themselves divisive.
I am no fan of labels. I find them increasingly divisive—creating a divide between “us” and “them”. I am a researcher, so, of course, I understand the need to group for the purpose of categorizing. Other than for these reasons, labels serve very little purpose than to fracture society. In reality, humanity runs more of a continuum. Each person is more a Venn diagram of traits than a distinct label. The more we think otherwise, the more divided we become.
Religion is one of these divisive labels. Religion calls for people to be more spiritual. Of course, what is “spiritual” depends on your religious label. When I consider this, I always go to Matthew 7:21-23 in the bible:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
These verses remind me that it matters little whether I call myself a “Christian”. It is my actions who define who and what I am. My actions run a continuum of “Christ-like”. Most days, I feel in danger of being among those to whom the Christ will say, “I never knew you”.
As a physiologist, I am likewise confronted with the impact of labeling. Gender, I believe, is essentially a dichotomous categorization—male and female—however, it impossible to define precisely what is “male” and “female” other than “Boys have a penis, and girls have a vagina” (Kindergarten Cop). There is no more or less male/female. It is more like countless shades of male/female. Race, too, comes in countless shades.
Let’s face the fact that diversity goes beyond labels. Let’s focus on the humanity that we share. Consider what it means that in the Kingdom of Heaven, “there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for (we) are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26, NIV).
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!