Imago D.E.I.
I’ve been trying to be like Jesus for most of my life, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that growth never stops.
What I believe about who God is and what God desires for people has been shifting my entire life. Not in the sense of losing faith, but in the sense of constantly discovering more—more depth, more love, more of God’s heart. And every time I dig deeper, I find that God’s heart is always pointed toward people, relationships, and radical love.
For a long time, I thought faith was mostly about personal holiness, knowing the right theology, and making sure I was on the “right side” of things. But over time, my understanding has been reshaped—again and again—reminding me that God is always about people. The gospel isn’t about me getting everything right. It’s about how I love and make space for others.
What is DEI and Why Does It Matter?
DEI stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion—and at its core, it’s about making sure people are seen, valued, and given the opportunities they need to thrive.
Diversity means making sure different kinds of people—different races, cultures, backgrounds, and identities—are represented.
Equity is about making sure the playing field is level, so that everyone has access to what they need to flourish (not just the ones who started with more resources).
Inclusion ensures that people don’t just have a seat at the table, but actually belong and have a voice.
I know DEI can stir up a lot of opinions. Some people embrace it wholeheartedly, while others see it as controversial—maybe even unnecessary. It’s become a bit of a cultural battleground, especially in political and corporate spaces.
But I’m less interested in what companies or governments do with DEI—and more interested in what God says about it.
Because when I look at Scripture, I don’t see a God who is indifferent to these things. I see a God who created diversity on purpose, fights for justice, and constantly breaks down walls that separate people.
So if we believe every human being reflects the image of God (Imago Dei), then shouldn’t we also believe in a world where diversity, equity, and inclusion aren’t just ideals—but realities of the Kingdom?
Diversity: God’s Intentional Design
If you’ve ever looked around at a forest, an ocean reef, or even a packed city street, you’ll notice something—God never makes just one kind of anything.
Creation is bursting with variety. The world is filled with different languages, cultures, skin tones, and stories. That’s not a mistake. That’s not something to be “colorblind” about. That’s God’s design.
And what’s even more beautiful? The biblical authors seem to think God’s vision for eternity is just as diverse:
“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude
that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language,
standing before the throne and before the Lamb.”
(Revelation 7:9)
Heaven isn’t one culture, one language, or one kind of person. It’s every tribe, every people, every tongue—together.
And if that’s the Kingdom of God, then we should be practicing for it right now.
Equity: God’s Justice is Restorative
Here’s something I’ve had to unlearn: I used to think justice meant treating everyone the same, but I’ve learned it’s about restoring what’s broken so everyone can flourish.
We often think fairness means treating everyone exactly alike, but God sees who has been left out, held back, or hurt—and moves toward them to lift them up.
Because the truth is, we usually only worry about fairness when we feel left out ourselves, while overlooking the struggles of others.
The Bible is packed with reminders that God’s justice isn’t about maintaining the status quo—it’s about actively making things right:
“Learn to do right; seek justice.
Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
plead the case of the widow.”
(Isaiah 1:17)
Jesus made this even clearer. The first biblical record of Him preaching wasn’t about power, rules, or systems. He talked about restoration:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free.”
(Luke 4:18-19)
Equity means paying attention to the people who’ve been overlooked, pushed aside, or left out—and doing something about it.
That’s the heart of Jesus.
Inclusion: The Gospel Tears Down Dividing Walls
One of the earliest struggles in the church was this question: Who belongs?
Did you have to be Jewish to follow Jesus? Did you have to follow certain customs? Could Gentiles—outsiders—really be included in the family of God?
Peter, one of Jesus’ closest disciples, wrestled with this question—until God made it crystal clear:
“You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile.
But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean...
I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation
the one who fears him and does what is right.”
(Acts 10:28-35)
God has always been breaking down walls and pulling more people in.
And Paul summed it up in one of the most radical statements in Scripture:
“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free,
nor is there male and female,
for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
(Galatians 3:28)
Jesus didn’t just invite people to the table—He flipped it and rebuilt the whole thing so that everybody had a place.
Jesus Didn’t Just Preach Inclusion—He Lived It
Jesus didn’t just talk about breaking down barriers—He spent His life doing it.
He had dinner with tax collectors and sinners when religious leaders wouldn’t even be seen with them (Mark 2:15–17).
He spoke with the Samaritan woman at the well, breaking racial and gender norms (John 4:7–26).
He touched and healed lepers—people cast out and considered untouchable (Luke 5:12–13).
He praised the faith of a Roman centurion, a Gentile soldier (Matthew 8:5–13).
Every time people tried to draw a line between “insiders” and “outsiders,” Jesus stepped over it. And if we want to follow Him, we should be doing the same.
Living Out Imago D.E.I.
A lot of people talk about DEI as if it’s some new idea—but it’s not.
It’s been at the core of God’s story from the beginning:
Diversity is God’s design.
Equity is God’s justice.
Inclusion is the heart of the gospel.
The question isn’t whether we should care about these things.
The question is:
Where in your life—your church, your friendships, your workplace—can you make room for the Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Imago Dei?