Voices and Diversity

Dawn cracks above the mountain and air fills with bird song. I hear and really listen. There are high chirps and short tweets and raspy calls and long squawks. Together, they sound like a well orchestrated choir. But if I focus in on one particular bird's sound, it quickly becomes nerve wracking and down right annoying.

The beauty is in the diversity.

Now my mind is spinning and I'm no longer thinking about birds, but about people and voices. There are a hundred different voices to be heard on any given subject. One mom schedules her baby, the next mom just goes with the flow. One couple rents their home, the next couple owns their home. One wife declares a certain book revolutionized her marriage, the next wife thinks Ephesians 5 is all the marriage advice she needs.

The beauty is in the diversity.

So often it feels like the struggle is in the diversity. If we could all view controversial issues the same way, relationships would be easier, right? Maybe. But what would life be like if all we ever heard was one opinion, one perspective, one side of the story. My guess is it would sound a lot like that one bird whose squawks are just a little too long and shrill when heard alone.

There is plenty of room on this wide green earth for ALL the voices. I don't need to have such ruffled feathers when someone's tweet doesn't match my chirp. When I choose to see the beauty of diversity instead of the struggle, then I'm in a position to learn and grow. And I guess I'm crazy enough to believe that EVERY voice has something worth while to say if I'm willing to listen.