Beautiful Diversity
January 2014
"We must create unity, not division, within the body of Christ."
The term “relativism” gets a lot of attention in Catholic circles these days. The idea of not drawing a distinct line between right and wrong contradicts everything we believe as Christians. It’s a dangerous threat.
But equally dangerous is the opposite: fundamentalism. We are often tempted to view every issue, conflict, and situation in black-and-white, defining right and wrong in circumstances where there is more than one right answer.
The beauty of the Catholic faith is its depth, complexity, and nuance. These characteristics make it possible for a richly diverse collection of humanity to unite under one Creed. But unity doesn’t necessarily require strict uniformity. All too often, we try to apply fundamentalist principles to things that are not critical to the faith and, in so doing, create division instead of unity within the body of Christ.