The Joys of Diversity

With my pot roast and vegetables - carrots, potatoes, and onions - slow cooking in the crock pot, I actually took it easy yesterday while looking forward to dinner guests that evening. Dessert would feature store bought cheesecake and chocolate ice cream. My guests were few: my son and his wife and my neighbor, a Catholic nun.

I live in a small apartment, so my guests and I gathered around the kitchen table where I served my pot roast, which after nearly eight hours in the crock pot was so tender it was falling apart. Enjoying the food and one another's good company, we were soon engaged in lively conversation, punctuated by intermittent outbursts of laughter. It was only later, that I recalled the diversity the four of us represented: Jewish, Unitarian, Catholic, and my own non-denominational, somewhat mystical, protestant background.

I've often noted to those who have difficulty accepting others with different backgrounds that God must enjoy diversity - just look at all the varieties of flowers out there!

Today, recalling the gathering around my kitchen table last evening, I'm mindful of the sense of joy, peace, and love I experienced in that setting, and my heart is filled with gratitude for the diversity of my family, friends, and neighbors.