Core Values:: Diversity

So what kind of person are you?

Because there are clearly 2 types of people in this world.

Type 1:: When you go to a restaurant you have been to before you immediately order the thing that you've ordered every other time you've been there.

Type 2:: When you go to a restaurant you have been to before you immediately look through the specials or new menu items to see if there's something fresh you can try.

Now, I'm normally a type 2, but I can see the appeal of that type 1 life.

There's something so disappointing about branching out of your comfort zone and feeling like things were so much better and safer with what you already knew. You bought the hype of the new lettuce and dill pickle wrap when a burger would have safely hit the spot.

What's interesting about people is that different times and emotions can cause us to lean towards adventure or comfort. Sometimes we want to get a little crazy and branch out and other times we want the power of the known and predictable. There are better cups of coffee than Starbucks to be found when you travel into other cities, but there isn't a more predictable cup of coffee to be found.

This week we want to talk about that push and pull of adventure and comfort with something more important than food and beverage choices.

People.

We are often drawn to consistency and predictability in our relationships. We want people who come from similar places with similar backgrounds and experiences. Finding out you share a common interest as an acquaintance is a GAME CHANGER. We have something to talk about or something in common to fall back on if things get awkward.

The problem is that these comfortable relationships (while good and necessary) can also unintentionally reinforce our experience as the only experience. We struggle more and more to understand people in media, news, work environments who come from different places and their words feel more and more foreign to us.

This Sunday we want to talk about our value for diversity by exploring all the incredible benefits God has in store for us when we intentionally step into stretching spaces relationally.