Unity and Diversity

I have often perceived that the central motto or anthem of our present age, and within our western culture is "diversity". It is interesting to me that this is so. While it is obvious that God has placed an elemental diversity in all of creation, and one which is very glorious to behold, yet at the same time, within human existence the ideal of diversity carries something of a caveat. In Scripture we find a story, within early salvation history, of a people who sought to build a tower to the heavens as a grand ambition. God saw this happening, and saw that it was being carried out impiously. Man sought to glorify only himself through this. In punishment, God divided their language, so that they could not communicate well, one with another. Harmony was lost and their earthly ambitions failed miserably within the morass of individualism and self centered futility. In other words, a measure of diversity was given as a punishment. Also, when Moses was confounded in his leadership of the Israelite community by their lack of docility he would exclaim "every man to his own tent"! This too implies a punishment.
Original Sin, whether one chooses to believe in it or not, is at the heart of this scriptural reflection. One of the main currents flowing from the fall of man, into the lives of all descendants of Adam, is that current which flows into a self centered individualism. When Jesus comes on the scene, He orients his disciples to a "narrow way" which He would teach and which was to be "conformed" to. It is my belief that, in order to come to our proper and essential diversity, we must seek to conform to a pattern....and that pattern is found in the Personality of Christ. It is well for us to study the Gospels, especially the beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount in order to learn God's narrow way. Diversity is a major facet of God's beautiful creation. Because of Original Sin, we are not well equipped to become what we are meant to be. We error and contribute more to a general chaos than to a Godly harmony. What is being called for and promoted in this blog entry is self knowledge leading to a realized need of Divine Assistance...and this is a precious gift from God to be prayed for profoundly. Jesus speaks, "Narrow is the way to salvation, and few there are that find it".