God's Tapestry: Understanding and Celebrating Differences

God’s Tapestry is an invitation—an invitation not only to show up for the journey but to become fully engaged in the work. Our differences are our greatest blessings and our greatest challenges, maintains William Kondrath. Theologically and ecologically, differences foster life and growth, but discord within denominations and congregations frequently have to do with the inability of individuals and groups to deeply understand and value differences.

Kondrath shows us how to embrace our true multiculturalism—our differences of race, gender, age, theology, language, sexual identity, and so forth. He does this by exploring differences on four levels—personal, interpersonal, institutional, and cultural. He also demonstrates a threefold process for becoming multicultural: recognizing our differences; understanding those differences and their significance and consequences; and valuing or celebrating those differences. While ministry is the work of the entire faith community, not only ordained or professional staff, it is critical that leaders learn the art and skill of recognizing, understanding, and valuing differences. Then the congregations and agencies they serve, having learned and practiced the art and skill of celebrating differences, can be the yeast that raises this awareness of God’s diverse blessings in the wider world.