Diversity - The Tension Between Unity & Tolerance
A pub is a place of different gatherings to experience unity. The desire to belong to a community with a similar mindset, understanding, belief and acceptance is innate in all of us. Unity is what we are all eager for, that's why people go to a pub. The pub I want to open one day unlike the average pub, I want to pursue a bigger diverse audience that comes from very different mindsets. Therefore unity will be harder to achieve, but I believe that through unity the pub will come alive on another level.
That is a part of the good news:
We (all mankind) don't need unity, we need humility. Unity is the fruit of humility. Rom. 12:16-18, Eph. 4:1-3
So how tolerant do we need to be to function in a diverse community like in a pub?
A typical pub brings in a specific group of like-minded people. My vision is to break barriers with a pub that attracts people from all types of backgrounds, mindsets and beliefs. With such a contrasting audience in one setting, my goal is to bring about true unity that can only be found through a thriving, diverse community. What does diversity mean? People are different, have different mentalities, and do not share the same goals in life. Identities differ. However, because we have different skills, cultures and passions, it also represents the fullness of our collective intelligence, creativity and compassion. And that is the beauty of diversity and what makes up our humanity. Without diversity, there is no true unity. Otherwise, it is just boring uniformity.
Without unity, diversity can only lead to segregation and isolation within society. That is where tolerance comes in. If you tolerate something you already make the statement that you disagree but you “allow” it. How you choose to respond to disagreements, splits tolerance into two categories. The first version of tolerance breaks down walls between different-minded people through gentleness, patience, active listening, respect, and compassion. While the second version of tolerance builds up walls to other people who do not fit in their uniform world, because it's easier to avoid rather than embrace confrontations. The first version leads to unity, while the other leads more likely to conflicts and even worse. One tolerance means respecting each other in humility no matter your background, while only accepting one truth. The other tolerance accepts that all beliefs and different kinds of truths are equally correct.
We all need to understand and accept that we humans cannot always tolerate everything. We are always facing sometimes limits and confrontations, which is natural. What is true for one person is not necessarily true for another. However, if we have multiple truths, then in the end no one actually knows the truth. Two truths that contradict each other defy the very essence of the definition of truth. Truth is defined as that which is fact or reality—a reality that exists and can be proved.
That's why the pub provides space for everyone to experience healthy tolerance in a diverse community. My tolerance is breaking walls to offer long-term unity and peace. Whether you are an atheist, a Catholic, a Buddhist, an old granny, or a hippy gangster—my belief in Christ doesn't hinder me from respecting and welcoming all walks of life without straying from the conviction there is only one truth. It doesn't matter what background and education you may have.
The people in the pub will respect you and the choices you make because, in the end, it is still a pub where you have a free beer on the house.
So welcome!
