Blog

Diversity is More Than Color
Monday, November 14, 2022 by Cindy K. Sproles

Diversity seems to be the word these days. Please, don’t misunderstand. I’m not being snide. It’s something that should have been happening for centuries, but these days, it seems to be the new buzzword. And I wonder, how long will the buzz last before the noise wears down and a new buzz begins?

 I ask for your forgiveness as I start this blog because this mountain gal is about as unrefined and politically incorrect as they come...and not because I’m trying to be belligerent...but because I simply can’t keep up with the continual changes. Today it’s one way, tomorrow it’s different. I’ll be honest. I turned the news off in 2020 and I’ve hardly watched it since. My ignorance comes from not keeping up with the national news. Still, when I had to choose between my walk with Christ and the national news, I felt my time was far better spent with the One who makes a difference in my life. As I walk through this post, know that my use of certain words is not meant to be demeaning or slanderous, but it’s simply that this mountain girl can’t keep up with the buzz. Please forgive me in advance.

I recently sat through a conference and a class on Sensitivity in a Diverse Culture. It walked me through all the ways I needed to be sensitive – which by the way, is another word that has fallen to the world’s way of definition. Sensitive used to mean, being tender, asserting compassion, and attention to the needs of others. Now it means, don’t hurt Joe’s feelings, he’ll end up in therapy for months. Sigh.

However, what I am learning in my questions to God is listed as question three: What are you teaching me about diversity?

I realized as I taught Bible study, exactly what God was teaching me about diversity. It had nothing to do with the ethnicity of a person, but it had everything to do with the wide range of individuals that are in my life. I know...hold on...I’m getting there.

 I had a Bible question. It started with a little research about mineral springs. As I searched the internet for information on the healing attributes of mineral springs (of course it ties to an Appalachian historical novel in the works), I ran upon a historical society in the Holy Lands where a Rabbi made a blanket statement about the Pool of Bethesda. Now, if you don’t know about the Pool of Bethesda let me quickly fill you in. Long story short, people gathered by the pool to be healed. The belief was, that when the waters bubbled it was an angel who was stirring the waters with healing powers. People would rush to the water, and jump in, in hopes to be miraculously healed. Jesus went to the Pool of Bethesda and there He pinpointed a man who was ill for 38 years. He asked the man, Do you want to be healed? The man said he couldn’t get to the water fast enough. Jesus asked, Do you want to be healed? And when the man answered yes, Jesus healed him. It wasn’t from the waters of the pool – it was by faith. 

All that to say, this Rabbi said that it was possible that the Pool of Bethesda was mineral water.  I was curious just to know if there was more to the hubbub besides some of the pagan rituals of the times. Mineral waters are healing on the superficial areas of the skin to kill bacteria or infestations like lice – gentle on sores and wounds. Usually, mineral waters are found in hot springs where the waters are 78 degrees or warmer. This alone eases swollen joints and sore muscles. That said, I was curious if there was any validity to that assumption the Rabbi made. I was curious. Here’s where the diversity comes in. 

I called my friend Eva, who has a Really Smart Divinity Degree of some sort, and asked her – Do you think the waters at Bethesda were mineral waters? This Rabbi sort of insinuated that this was why folks flocked to the waters to wait on the “angel.” She was curious, so she contacted a friend she has who is a guide in the Holy Lands. As she did that, I contacted a professor friend at a Bible College, who promptly sent my question to a colleague who happened to be leading our very minister and a group from our church on a tour of the Holy Lands. (Go figure.) That man came back with the information I needed at about the same time as Eva’s friend. There are no natural springs at Bethesda. It was rainwater or water pumped up to the pool. Though there are mineral pools in the area, none are close to where the Pools of Bethesda were. (FYI – no, the waters were not mineral – diversity showed me that.)

So in a few short moments, I was in contact with four different folks some of whom I’d never met – diversity. And a huge range of diversity it was – from friends to friends of friends who were much smarter than me.

I get the importance of inclusion from disabled to skin color. I get it. I live with a son who has disabilities, but God quickly showed me just how diverse my world was and needs to continue to be. Four different people, two of them on the other side of the world, all pooled (no pun intended) together to answer my question.

We spend so much time demanding diversity due to ethnicity that we forget the personal interactions we have daily that are so diverse it blows my mind. Diversity is not what makes us different, it’s what joins us together. Diverse – an assortment. It’s like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates. When we stop looking at the color of our skin and start looking at the individuals who make up our lives, suddenly the word takes on a new meaning. We don’t include them because of their color, rather, we include them because we love them. They are part of our lives and God enriches us through them.

It was a wonderful realization when I opened my eyes to see God. He showed me just how diverse His world and His children are – and we already know so many. My lesson was to learn to recognize people for the internal not the external. Every person in this world carries an attribute of God because, after all, He created every single one. If I can find four within minutes with one question, how many can you find if you look?

Diversity spans so much more than what the world wants us to believe. It’s more than your rights because of your skin color. If we put aside what we feel like others owe us and simply be the people God has made us, then suddenly the physical attributes disappear and all that shows is the internal gifts we are blessed with.

I know...you probably say, “it’s not that easy.”  And it’s not if it’s left to man’s own devices, but when we drop the scales from our eyes that blind us – the entitlement – and look beyond the colors of the world begin to blend and mix and create new tints and shades that bring us new depth and love.

 Look deeper and be amazed at the wide assortment of individuals placed in your life. Look at WHO they are not what they are. Diversity becomes true again.

 

Photo 1 - Image by GlenisAymara from Pixabay     Photo 2 – www.leighdeanery.co.uk   Photo 2 -  Image by Barbara Bonanno from Pixabay 

Share This Blog:


Comments

Theresa Parker Pierce From Granite Quarry NC At 11/15/2022 3:01:04 PM

I wrote a paper for grad school about a rodeo girl in my class. Talk about unique… she roped goats, traveled with her family to events, gave me a backstage tour, the works. My eyes were opened to how to teach her better. It was a huge step out of my comfort zone. Diversity is as you said, more than

Reply by: Cindy Sproles

Indeed.

Steven Hutson From Los Angeles At 11/15/2022 1:04:21 PM

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/columns-and-blogs/soapbox/article/76782-defining-literary-diversity.html

Reply by: Cindy Sproles

Thank you.

Edwina E Cowgill From Newnan GA At 11/15/2022 11:52:06 AM

You hit the nail on the head! Edwina (Tried sharing to FB, but never could get it to post!)

Reply by: Cindy Sproles

Thank you.

Jan Loyd From Dayton, OH At 11/15/2022 7:56:05 AM

Love this, Cindy. This sounds like my ZOOM Bible study… very diverse in age, race, “Christian camp” (aka denomination), personality, etc. Love these ladies… the differences melt away when love takes over.

Reply by: Cindy Sproles

If we would just look inward.

Kelly From Southeastern, NC At 11/15/2022 7:25:31 AM

I love how the Lord teaches in layers. And there is always so much more beneath the surface of what we think is there. If we just peel back and look... Thank you for helping me peel a layer. ?? You are always a blessing.

Reply by: Cindy Sproles

He knows we are onions!

Steven Hutson From Los Angeles At 11/15/2022 6:47:18 AM

Bravo, Cindy. I wrote an article about this a few years ago, in Publisher's Weekly. The sense of entitlement only harms the author's prospects.

Reply by: Cindy Sproles

Thanks Steve. Link for your article?

Mountain Breeze Writer


Previous Posts

Never Look Back
Cindy Sproles

8/2/2024

Words Have Power
Cindy Sproles

7/12/2024

Those Hallmark Holidays
Cindy Sproles

5/12/2024

Deep and Wide or Sick and Tired?
Cindy Sproles

12/18/2023

What Would Jesus Do?
Cindy Sproles

11/10/2023

Chick, Chick, Chick
Cindy K. Sproles

9/30/2023

In My Inperfections
Cindy K. Sproles

8/27/2023

By the Hair of my Chinny, Chin, Chin
Cindy Sproles

7/21/2023

What Dumb Cluck!
Cindy K. Sproles

6/29/2023

Where to Draw the Line?
Cindy Sproles

4/27/2023

Submit! ME?
Cindy Sproles

4/14/2023

Why Are People So Mean?
Cindy Sproles

3/30/2023

I'm Getting Old
Cindy K. Sproles

3/3/2023

To Hear or Not to Hear
Cindy Sproles

1/28/2023

Happy New Year, Happy New Year News
Cindy Sproles

1/9/2023

Happy Neuter Year
Cindy Sproles

12/31/2022

Facing Reality - Aging Parents, Aging Children
Cindy Sproles

12/30/2022

Word of the Year for 2023
Cindy Sproles

12/24/2022

My Grown Up Christmas List - Three Things to Adulting the Right Way
Cindy Sproles

12/13/2022

Weebles Wobble but They Don't Fall Down
Cindy Sproles

12/6/2022

The Man In the Middle
Cindy Sproles

11/24/2022

Diversity is More Than Color
Cindy K. Sproles

11/14/2022

Love in Motion
Cindy Sproles

11/7/2022

Deadbeat or Deadline
Cindy Sproles

10/31/2022

Backstory - The Reader Doesn't Care!
Cindy Sproles

10/18/2022

The Color of Scared - The Final in Seeking Spiritual Renewal
Cindy Sproles

10/14/2022

The Color of Scared - Second of Three in Seeking Spiritual Freedom from Fear
Cindy Sproles

10/9/2022

The Color of Scared - First of Three in Seeking Spiritual Freedom from Fear
Cindy Sproles

10/3/2022

Fog, Mist, Morning
Cindy Sproles

9/29/2022

From a Rooster to a Hen
Cindy Sproles

9/24/2022

Writing from the Hip
Cindy Sproles

9/19/2022

Soggy Scrubby and the Long Goodbye
Cindy Sproles

9/13/2022

Wramping Up for ACWC
Cindy Sproles

9/10/2022

Rest Not, Want MORE!
Cindy Sproles

9/3/2022

Reality for Me
Cindy Sproles

8/17/2022

The Truth in Publishing
Cindy Sproles

8/11/2022

Beyond
Cindy Sproles

8/4/2022

Working with an Editor
Cindy Sproles

7/7/2022

Two on the Way
Cindy Sproles

2/26/2022

The Party's Overrrrr!
Cindy Sproles

2/22/2022

2022 Encouragement for the Writer
Cindy Sproles

1/4/2022

Every Day is New
Cindy Sproles

1/1/2022

Beginning Anew (An Eldercare Note)
Cindy Sproles

12/31/2021

Five Ways to Kill Your Publishing Opportunity
Cindy Sproles

12/30/2021

A Dollar Wisely Spent
Cindy Sproles

12/28/2021

Silent Night
Cindy Sproles

12/25/2021

Back Pocket Projects
Cindy Sproles

12/21/2021

Things are Back on Track - I think!
Cindy Sproles

12/18/2021

Wonky is Hard
Cindy Sproles

4/25/2021

Present Yourself Approved and Professional
Cindy Sproles

1/28/2021

Integrity - An Authors Valued Trait
Cindy Sproles

1/8/2021

Homonyms – Did You Sea/See Them Their/There?
Cindy Sproles

1/8/2021

Writer Self-Care - Welcome 2021
Cindy Sproles

1/4/2021

Hope in a New Year
Cindy Sproles

1/1/2021

One More Christmas Thought - Taken from ChristianDevotions.US blog
Cindy Sproles

12/25/2020

A Christmas Saga - Joy in the Season
Cindy Sproles

12/24/2020

When Writing Grows Hard
Cindy Sproles

12/22/2020

Permission to Quit - No Way
Cindy Sproles

12/18/2020

The Power of the Pen
Cindy Sproles

12/15/2020

The Good, The Bad, and the Memoir
Cindy Sproles

12/11/2020

The Immeasurable Power in You
Cindy Sproles

12/8/2020

Scratch It Till It Bleeds
Cindy Sproles

12/5/2020

Closing Up Shop - Renting or Selling Our Parent's Home
Cindy Sproles

9/5/2020

Humility in Writing
Cindy Sproles

7/7/2020

Let it Percolate
Cindy Sproles

7/3/2020

Mentoring - A Wise Choice
Cindy Sproles

6/29/2020

Divorce My Words?
Cindy Sproles

6/23/2020

Icy Self-Talk Will Freeze Your Writing
Cindy Sproles

6/19/2020

The Power in You
Cindy Sproles

6/16/2020

Waiting
Cindy Sproles

6/12/2020

Who Really Sells Your Books
Cindy Sproles

6/9/2020

Social Media When You Aren't Social Media Minded
Cindy Sproles

4/20/2020

What Really Is Important
Cindy Sproles

4/12/2020

In the Midst of Chaos
Cindy Sproles

3/17/2020

The Heart of God
Cindy Sproles

2/14/2020

Writing in a Pickle
Cindy Sproles

1/30/2020

The Adult Day Care Alternative
Cindy Sproles

1/23/2020

Social Media Blitz
Cindy Sproles

1/19/2020

The Joys of Aging
Cindy Sproles

12/30/2019

The Reality of Who We Are?
Cindy Sproles

12/22/2019

Publishing Trends
Cindy Sproles

11/30/2019

Be Thankful ANYWAY
Cindy Sproles

11/28/2019

Writing Your Mission Statement
Cindy Sproles

11/19/2019

Perseverance to Write
Cindy

11/16/2019

Common Sense Tips for When You Write
Cindy Sproles

11/9/2019

The Battle is Fought
Cindy

10/15/2019

Twelve Tidbits of Wisdom from Top Christian Writers
Cindy Sproles

10/5/2019

Pray with Fire
Cindy Sproles

10/3/2019

The Easy In
Cindy Sproles

9/24/2019

The Art of Self-Editing
Cindy Sproles

9/10/2019

Questions, Questions
Cindy Sproles

9/6/2019

15-Minute Appointments - Important Networking
Cindy Sproles

9/3/2019

Don't Close Your Eyes - Bob Hostetler
Cindy Sproles

2/5/2019

Love Your Faculty
Cindy Sproles

10/17/2018

Forging Ahead after Rejection
Cindy Sproles

7/17/2018

cindysproles.com Privacy Policy
Cindy Sproles

6/4/2018

Closing Up Shop - Guiding Seniors to Letting Go
Cindy Sproles

4/9/2018

Publishing Naysayers
Cindy Sproles

3/16/2018

In Prayer - I Write
Cindy Sproles

3/3/2018

Keep Them Reading
Cindy Sproles

1/12/2018

Encouraged - Even When . . .
Cindy Sproles

1/2/2018

Christmas Tears
Cindy Sproles

12/18/2017

Holiday Elder Care - Be an Elder Elf
Cindy Sproles

11/12/2017

Grateful for a Dream I Didn't Know I Had
Cindy Sproles

11/9/2017

Keep Them Reading
Cindy Sproles

11/1/2017

Chicken Soup for the Soul - Writer Call Out
Cindy Sproles

10/27/2017

Five Ways to Assure Your Work will Find the Slush Pile
Cindy Sproles

10/24/2017

23rd Psalm Revisited
Cindy Sproles

10/21/2017

Contentment in Writing
Cindy Sproles

10/19/2017

5 Common Sense Tips to Better Writing
Cindy Sproles

10/10/2017

Overshadowed
Cindy Sproles

8/21/2017

Chicken Soup for the Soul Callout - Stories about Love
Cindy Sproles

8/21/2017

Five Keys to Overcoming Rejection
Cindy Sproles

8/12/2017

Writing Call Out - Chicken Soup for the Soul
Cindy Sproles

8/10/2017

When Words of Encouragement Wane
Cindy Sproles

6/28/2017

Writing Truth with Love
Cindy Sproles

1/13/2017

Oh To Be A Writer
Cindy Sproles

1/4/2017

Why Write?
Cindy Sproles

1/1/2017

Scammed
Cindy Sproles

6/21/2016

The Pain of Unsolicited
Cindy Sproles

3/9/2016

Not Alone: A Literary and Spiritual Companion for Those Confronted with Infertility and Miscarriage
Cindy Sproles

11/21/2015

Thankful Despite . . .
Cindy Sproles

11/20/2015

Stepping Up to Na-No-Wri-Mo
Cindy Sproles

11/16/2015

The Gift of No Gifts
Cindy Sproles

11/2/2015

Writers Be Encouraged
Cindy Sproles

10/15/2015

Keep ‘Em Reading – It’s the Writer’s Responsibility
Cindy Sproles

8/13/2015

Saying Goodbye
Cindy Sproles

7/17/2015

Overcoming the Fear of Writing Failure
Cindy Sproles

7/8/2015

Making the Move – Home to Assisted Living
Cindy Sproles

6/17/2015

I Kid You Not
Cindy Sproles

6/6/2015

Hearing the Call to Foster – Renee McCausey
Cindy Sproles

1/13/2015

Throw Out the Crutches
Cindy Sproles

1/10/2015

So You Were Asked to Be A Beta Reader?
Cindy Sproles

1/10/2015

REJECTIONS – Aaughhh!
Cindy Sproles

1/5/2015

The Bachelor – Stephanie Reed
Cindy Sproles

12/14/2014

The Making of a Servant
Cindy Sproles

11/30/2014

Miracle in a Dry Season Review – Yvonne Lehman
Cindy Sproles

8/27/2014

Write Anyway
Cindy Sproles

8/26/2014

World Blog Tour – Catching Up with Cindy Sproles
Cindy Sproles

7/22/2014

The Progression of Life
Cindy Sproles

7/17/2014

Instrumental Writing Helps – Aaron Gansky
Cindy Sproles

7/4/2014

The Question Saga
Cindy Sproles

6/29/2014

Defy the Night – REVIEW
Cindy Sproles

4/28/2014

When the Work is Hard to Do
Cindy Sproles

4/1/2014

My Heart Belongs to Him
Cindy Sproles

2/14/2014

Review of The Vicar’s Wife
Cindy Sproles

2/2/2014

The In on Self Publishing – Part 2
Cindy Sproles

12/29/2013

The In on Self Publishing – Part 1
Cindy Sproles

12/26/2013

In a Pickle
Cindy Sproles

10/1/2013

Bigger and Better
Cindy Sproles

9/27/2013

Putting SOCIAL back in Media
Cindy Sproles

8/10/2013

After the Conference Ends…
Cindy Sproles

8/8/2013

Here a Tweak, There a Tweak, Everywhere a Tweak, Tweak
Cindy Sproles

8/2/2013

Can You Hear Me Now?
Cindy Sproles

7/23/2013

Golden Years, Cherished Moments
Cindy Sproles

3/20/2013

Broken Heart Syndrome
Cindy Sproles

9/26/2012

What About Our Elders
Cindy Sproles

8/24/2012

A Minute – A Lifetime
Cindy Sproles

8/10/2012

Water, Water – Who’s Got the Water
Cindy Sproles

7/31/2012