As believers, we are called to unity, not uniformity. We often assume that people with similar backgrounds will think and respond the same way. But even within families, perspectives can vary widely.
I have four children. All four come from the same DNA, the same gene pool. You’d think they would see the world in similar ways. But my oldest is 40, and my youngest is 30, with six years between the two middle children. The first two, a girl and a boy, were homeschooled and attended Christian schools through high school. The younger two boys went to public school. The first two were raised in a two-parent household. The second two were raised by me as a single mother.
Even with their shared heritage, each one processes trauma, joy, and life’s challenges in their own way. Their experiences have shaped their worldviews. And the same is true for all of us.
We come from different cultures. We are male and female. We’ve had different upbringings, family dynamics, and educational paths. All of this influences how we see life and how we respond to it. That’s not just okay. It’s intentional. It’s how God designed us.
This reminds me of the parable of the five blind men and the elephant. Each man touched a different part of the elephant and came to a different conclusion. One felt the trunk and thought it was a snake. Another touched a leg and believed it was a tree. Another felt the side and thought it was a wall. Each man’s perspective was valid, but incomplete. Only when they came together could they begin to understand the full picture.
It’s the same with people. Eyewitnesses to the same event—like a car accident—often describe it differently. One may say the car was blue. Another says teal. One blames one driver. Another blames the other. They might all be right based on what they saw.
Romans 14:2–3 speaks to this idea:
“One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them.” (Romans 14:2–3 NIV)
This passage isn’t just about food. It’s about honoring different convictions. It’s a call to walk in grace. Just because someone sees or responds to something differently doesn’t make them wrong. It may just mean they’re coming from a different place and a different story.
Even in ministry, the Fivefold gifts bring different perspectives. A pastor ministers with compassion and care for hearts. A teacher brings clarity and instruction. An apostle lays foundations and casts vision. A prophet discerns and declares what God is saying. An evangelist carries a burning passion for the lost. Each brings something different, and all are needed to equip the saints (Ephesians 4:11–13).
Here at Christian International, our diversity reflects this same beauty. Our staff includes people from Jamaica, Trinidad, El Salvador, and all across the United States. Some are married. Some are single. Some have children. Some do not. We are men and women. We come from different financial backgrounds and life experiences. And each person brings a unique and valuable perspective.
As 1 Corinthians 12:21 reminds us:
“The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’”
The eye sees differently than the hand. The head functions differently than the feet. But we need every part working together in order to be the Body of Christ.
Have you ever been in a debate with someone, and the more you listen to them, the more you begin to understand where they’re coming from? You start to see why they think the way they do. That’s what the saying means: “Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes.” Try to see it from their perspective.
My dad has said to me, “You have to give people the right to be themselves.”
So the next time you encounter someone with a different perspective, instead of resisting it, try embracing it. Ask God what part of the bigger picture they might be helping you to see. Because in the Kingdom of God, different doesn’t mean wrong. It may just be part of His beautiful design.
