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Diversity
As social workers, we interact with a lot of different people. According to Colossians
3:11, "Christ is all and in all." We are all God's creation, big or small, black, white, American,
Asian, or European, and he loves us all. There are several episodes of oppression in the Bible's
history. Moses and Esther were the first two instances that sprang to mind.
If I recall right, Moses was the first man that God used to lead the Israelites out of
oppression. Because of the Jewish tyranny at the time, Moses' mother placed him in a basket and
sent him down the river. Because God was keeping an eye on him, he became the son of a
princess. He led a prosperous and privileged life. Even though his departure from that life was
due to his own errors, he ended up content with the life of a shepherd. Despite this, he opted to
obey God and return to Pharaoh. For forty years, he gladly led the nation of Israel through the
desert. He might have chosen to defy God and leave at any time, yet he remained faithful to
God's commands. Unfortunately, he committed certain errors once again, and as a result, he was
barred from entering the Promised Land. He might have decided to disobey and flee once more,
but he led the remainder of the people to the promised land despite his punishment. The tale of
Moses' death is told in Deuteronomy 34. God shows Moses the Promised Land from the summit
of Mount Nebo in verse four of this chapter. Moses gratefully accepted God's gift of enabling
him to see the Promised Land and died there, looking out over the land he had spent forty years
traveling to. "Moses is considered one of the most important religious leaders in world history,"
according to the World History Encyclopedia (Mark, 2016). He also claims to be the most-
quoted prophet in the New Testament.
Esther was one of the few women mentioned in the Old Testament who God used to
redeem his people. She put herself in a perilous situation. She followed her cousin's advice and
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kept her ancestry hidden. Despite the dangers she faced daily, she rose to become queen of the
Medes and Persians. God was able to use her to safeguard the people of Israel yet again because
of her desire to follow, despite the dread and uncertainty she must have felt at the time. She went
before the king without authorization, putting her own life in danger, and persuaded him to let
her people defend themselves. Mordecai, her cousin, was likewise promoted in status as a result
of his devotion and allegiance to God; he rose to second in rank only to the king. They were both
used by God to save their people, and they were rewarded with comfortable and prosperous
lives.
These are only two examples of those that God used to liberate his people from slavery
and injustice. Of course, there are many more depicted throughout the Bible, but these two were
the first that sprang to me, and I felt they had the most potential to turn their backs and declare
that too much was being asked of them. They did not, though, and instead relied on God to see
them through it all.
In today's society, the issue of diversity has grown extremely complicated. People are
striving to be both distinct and the same as everyone else. Many times, individuals pretend to be
opposing racism and oppression while they are encouraging it. People used to, and still do, come
to this country in search of freedom, but once here, they refuse to integrate into our society fully.
Instead, they identify as Asian-Americans, Russian-Americans, or African Americans. Although
Native Americans are the only genuine Americans, therefore America is known as a melting pot.
The men and women who founded this country battled for it to be a haven of freedom where
people from all over the world could come and live a free life, where they could be whoever they
wanted to be.
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When slaves brought here from Africa battled to be free and regarded as equals inside our
borders, a fight for freedom was fought once more within our borders. They are now seeking to
be segregated once more. They want to have their own schools and homes. After everything their
forefathers fought for, they are gradually but surely destroying all their sacrifices. They are so
preoccupied with ensuring that no one is looked down upon that they are oblivious to the reality
that they are still raising themselves above others. Many people, in my perspective, appear to
desire to be perceived as superior to everyone else rather than just equal.
This country was established on the principle that all men are created equal before God.
We were once a great country because of God. All other nations formerly feared and revered us,
but today they think very little of us. The terror that was previously present has vanished. Our
country used to have religious freedom as well. It is becoming increasingly unlawful to share
your ideas with strangers. Most individuals are angered when they hear someone speak anything
that contradicts their own thoughts and views. Christians have faded into the background, and
they no longer speak out against people who defy God. This is incorrect, whether it is due to fear
or something else. Hebrews 11 mentions several of God's disciples who obeyed him only by
faith. Some people never even witnessed the rewards of their loyalty. They obeyed because that
was God's will. Because of their faith, we are where we are and who we are today. America used
to follow in its footsteps, but Americans have become sluggish and intractable in recent years.
One scripture, Hebrews 11:16, declares that "God is not ashamed to be called their God." If God
is not ashamed to claim any of us, even though we are all sinners, why are we as Christians
ashamed to proclaim him?
Social justice is one of a social worker's fundamental principles, in which "social workers
promote social change, particularly with and on behalf of disadvantaged and oppressed persons
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and groups of people ("National Association of Social Workers (NASW)," n.d.)". The social
change activities of social workers are primarily focused on issues of poverty, unemployment,
discrimination, and other kinds of social injustice. These activities aim to increase awareness of
and knowledge of oppression and cultural and ethnic diversity. Social workers seek to ensure
that all individuals have equitable access to essential information, services, and resources, as well
as meaningful involvement in decision making." Diversity is not always a negative thing; things
are rarely that black and white; nevertheless, in some respects, it has become a weapon that
individuals use to feel better about themselves. Diversity may be beneficial; it can keep life
interesting while also allowing each of us to be our own distinct people. God made us to be
distinct and varied people. America was supposed to be an example of this. The people of
America must remember this and cease attempting to separate themselves within the country.
Instead, they must learn to collaborate and live as one country.
Personally, I've always found diversity to be fascinating. There is so much to learn from
other people's differences, and as a social worker, I aim to learn as much as possible from future
clients. I've already learned a lot from the many diverse folks I've met during school. I can learn
an infinite amount from the people I encounter in my line of work. I can learn about various
cultures and how they operate. I can also learn to think in new ways. In ethics class, I was taught
about considering all the possible answers to situations we are confronted with. I've already
learned that just because something works for one person doesn't always imply it will work for
everyone else.
When I originally decided to pursue a career in social work, I was concerned about how I
would be capable of dealing with children raised in families that do not want to or are unable to
care for their children. However, this is the main reason I want to be a social worker: to help
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children who feel as if they don't have a chance in this world. I want to advocate for children
who believe no one cares about them and assist them in finding loving homes.
Another bias I am aware of is towards@Mexicans. I know you can't evaluate a country
based on a few people. Still, no matter how hard I try to find the positive, virtually every
Mexican I encounter is disrespectful and condescending to me. I've also met a number of people
who continue to speak Spanish even though they speak English fluently. They often appear to be
concealing something. I know this will not prevent me from assisting them in the future if
required, but it does make it more difficult. I understand that, regardless of whatever biases I
may have now or acquire in the future, it is my responsibility to assist those entrusted to my care.
As a social worker, I pledge to set aside my differences and ideas in order to serve the
community in which God has placed me.
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References
Mark,@J. (2016, September 28).@Moses. World History
Encyclopedia.@https://www.worldhistory.org/Moses/
National Association of Social Workers (NASW). (n.d.). NASW - National Association of Social
Workers.@https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-
English
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