The Diverse, Equitable, Inclusive Body of Christ - The Rev. Philip DeVaul

We may posture our objections to diversity, equity and inclusion as objections only to specific policies, we may say we are speaking on behalf of meritocracy. We may be sincere when we say these things. For most of my life I was a person who, in the name of meritocracy, spoke out against diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. I wonder if it is coincidental that I tended to see all my own accomplishments as merited, while comfortably questioning the achievements of others – especially those that do not look, talk, or think like me.

There’s a lot to be said for the idea of merit. The problem has been, and continues to be, who decides who deserves something? Who sets the parameters for merit in our communities, in our country? The people who are already in power do and always have. Arguments for merit might have more teeth if we were operating on a level playing field. We are not. We never have been. This is not new, and it is not a problem unique to our time or place. Once, when Jesus was teaching in a way that asserted his own merit and authority, some around him muttered, “Isn’t he just the carpenter’s son?” Another person, when hearing of his rising prominence, asked rhetorically, “Has anything good ever come out of Nazareth?”

The implications are clear: We define merit based on the status quo and the existing structures of our culture – whether they are healthy or not. And Jesus seeks to subvert our status quo, to dismantle the existing structures that silence, marginalize, and harm large portions of our populace – even when those structures have been built in his name.