ESSENCE:  Integrity Ideas are specific actions a faithful leader can consider in leading faithfully through business a better way.

INTEGRITY IDEA: Embrace “Biblical DEI”

COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action):  Proclamation and Practices

COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt):  Overt

STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees, Suppliers/Vendors, Kingdom

Most Integrity Ideas are practical actions toward implementing a bigger WHY for the organization.  “Embrace Biblical DEI” is about cultivating an organizational culture that understands, implements and reflects a Biblical understanding of “diversity, equity and inclusion”.  It recognizes the importance to business a better way of doing the right thing, in the right way, for the right reasons, the toxic effect on organizational culture of trying to do a “right thing” in a way that does not align with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities, and the importance of proclaiming those beliefs, principles and priorities.  For a faithful leader seeking to lead with faithful integrity, “Embrace Biblical DEI” reflects Imago Dei, recognizes that God endows people with unique gifts and they deserve to be treated with dignity, prioritizes justice and treating people equitably, proclaims the inclusiveness of the Gospel of Jesus, and embodies the Golden Rule and the command to love your neighbor as God loves you.   In a broken world dominated by business as usual that can be motivated by political and ideological pressures and prejudices, “Embrace Biblical DEI” is an opportunity to demonstrate how the concepts embedded in the phrase “diversity, equity and inclusion” have aligned with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities long before the term “DEI” was coined.

Integrity Ideas are specific actions a leader can consider during the Re-Align step of Integriosity^®–actions that will begin to Re-Align the organization with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities.  You can find more Integrity Ideas at Integrous | Integrity Ideas (integriosity.com)

Integrity Ideas are practical actions toward implementing a bigger WHY for the organization.  We believe some are critical (and necessary) steps in the RENEW/RE-ALIGN/RE-IMAGINE/RESTORE process.  Others are just ideas to be considered if they feel like a good fit based on what leaders prayerfully discern is best for stewarding the organization toward its WHY.

“Embrace Biblical DEI” falls into the “if it fits” category.  While leading a business with faithful integrity through business a better way requires cultivating a culture that reflects Biblical concepts of diversity, equity and inclusion, “Embracing DEI” contemplates a more overt proclamation of how the organization is specifically embracing a Biblical understanding of those terms.

INTEGRITY IDEA: Embrace “Biblical DEI”

“Embrace Biblical DEI” is about cultivating an organizational culture that understands, implements and reflects a Biblical understanding of “diversity, equity and inclusion”.

“Biblical DEI” recognizes the importance to business a better way of doing the right thing, in the right way, for the right reasons, the toxic effect on organizational culture of trying to do a “right thing” in a way that does not align with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities, and the importance of proclaiming those beliefs, principles and priorities.

For a faithful leader seeking to lead with faithful integrity, “Embrace Biblical DEI” reflects Imago Dei, recognizes that God endows people with unique gifts and they deserve to be treated with dignity, prioritizes justice and treating people equitably, proclaims the inclusiveness of the Gospel of Jesus, and embodies the Golden Rule and the command to love your neighbor as God loves you.

“Embrace Biblical DEI” embodies the Golden Rule found in Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:31.  The Bible calls us to treat others as we would wish to be treated and love them as ourselves.  It goes without saying that people generally wish to have their uniqueness valued, to be treated fairly, and to be included rather than excluded.

Unfortunately, the worldly concept of “DEI” is often resisted by those who identify as politically or ideologically “conservative”, many of whom have a strong Biblical faith.  That can unfairly be twisted into an accusation that people of Biblical faith are opposed to the concepts of diversity, equity and inclusion (which is like opposing baseball and apple pie) when, in reality, they are merely resisting the current cultural definitions given to those terms by the kingdom of the world–definitions devoid of God.

Dr. Skip Moen writes: “We hear a lot about inequality today.  Political speech is filled with DEI platitudes.  The problem isn’t that these things don’t need correction.  The problem is that our society believes the corrections can come without a return to the Creator.”  Romans 12:2 instructs:

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

In a broken world dominated by business as usual that can be motivated by political and ideological pressures and prejudices, “Embrace Biblical DEI” is an opportunity for faithful leaders to demonstrate how the concepts embedded in the words “diversity, equity and inclusion” have aligned with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities long before the term “DEI” was coined.

Arthur Satterwhite III, Vice President of Diversity Belonging and Strategy at Young Life, wrote:

Diversity, equity, and inclusion should matter to us because they are the outworking of a critical truth embedded deeply within the Christian faith. The truth is that despite our differences, we were all made equally in God’s image and ultimately belong to God and to each other.

Biblical Basis for “Embrace Biblical DEI”.

Biblical Diversity.  God created all the incredible diversity that exists among humans–each with a unique DNA–and He declared our creation “very good”.  With all that diversity, every person is created in the image of God–Imago Dei–which says something remarkable about the God of the Bible.  Recognizing Imago Dei also requires treating others with dignity as fellow creations in the image of God–every job applicant and every employee deserves to be treated with the same dignity, whether or not they are the best person for a job and whether they are in the C-Suite or the mailroom.

But in a work context, treating people with the same dignity does not mean treating them the same.  As we have explained in post #055 (Nature of Work), the God-created diversity of humans includes diversity in the gifts we have been given.  By our nature as creations in the image of God, we are given gifts of creativity and productivity through specific skills and physical and mental abilities.

Some are given a gift of physical strength, some an artistic ability, some a logical mind, some a mathematical mind, some a poetic mind, some a business mind, some a gift of nurture and care, some a gift of ideating, some a gift of craftsmanship, some a gift of executing, some a gift of elocution, and some athletic ability.  Work is the platform God created for putting these gifts to creative and productive use for His glory.

1 Peter 4:10-11 declares that we are to use these gifts–the basis of our work and stewardship–“to serve one another“:

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace…in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.

As we emphasized in post #056 (Nature of Business), an organization is a merely a collection of people working together toward a common purpose. As such, it derives its purpose from their purpose.

Organizations such as businesses have intrinsic Kingdom value because they are a creation of God’s image-bearers that provides the platform and the opportunity for humans to come together in relationship to express and fulfill their humanity through work by producing and promoting flourishing and “building for the Kingdom” in ways that could not be accomplished by people working alone.

We believe Biblical diversity in a work context means treating all people with dignity, recognizing that each has been given unique gifts of creativity and productivity, and prayerfully assembling the group of people who can best pursue the purpose of the organization with an excellence and in a collaborative way that will glorify God.

Biblical diversity acknowledges the beauty of God’s creation and the unique contributions each person brings to the world.

Biblical Equity.  We believe Biblical equity is exhibiting equity in the treatment of people because that is how God sees them, rather than trying to achieve equity among people.  As such, it does not involve giving preferential treatment to people in order to equalize their circumstances by disadvantaging others (whether you see the answer as equality of outcome or equality of opportunity).

The Bible is clear about the importance of righteousness and justice and also clear that showing partiality is contrary to justice.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you.  (Matthew 6:33)

What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?  (Micah 6:8)

It is well with the man who . . . conducts his affairs with justice. (Psalms 112:5)

You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality . . . . (Deuteronomy 16:19-20)

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. (James 2:1)

We are also told in Psalm 98:9 that God will judge with righteousness and equity (and we are to reflect His image):

He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.

Even in “love”, partiality is condemned:

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself” . . . . But if you show partiality, you are committing sin . . . . (James 2:8-9)

Tim Keller (quoting Bible scholar Bruce Waltke) says “The very definition of righteous people is that they disadvantage themselves to advantage others.”  But disadvantaging yourself in erving another is different than choosing to disadvantage someone else to advantage someone you favor.

Biblical equity in an organization means treating people equitably and fairly in all aspects of the work relationship–from hiring to compensation to firing.

Biblical Inclusion.  The Gospel of Jesus is radically inclusive–all are welcome.  Recognizing Imago Dei means recognizing that all people–regardless of characteristics such as race or gender–deserve to be treated with equal dignity and respect.  The great commandment to love your neighbor demands that all neighbors be loved–not just ones who are like you or just ones you like.  Biblical inclusion can’t condone exclusion, even if done with good intentions.

It is illegal to discriminate, but we think Biblical inclusion goes beyond complying with the law.  It is being willing to go the extra mile to hire those who it would be simpler to overlook.

As we discussed in post #142 (Hire the Unhirable),  Faithful leaders seeking to lead with faithful integrity through business a better way should go out of their way to be inclusive by being willing to hire the “unhirable”–those who have a difficult time getting hired because of an employment challenge, such as the formerly incarcerated, recovering addicts, the homeless, the under-educated, and the developmentally disabled.

Expanding Biblical inclusion in the workplace to include considering the “unhirable” recognizes that every person needs a chance, or a second chance, to become more fully human by using their God-given creativity and productivity to love others through service.  It embodies the great commandment to love your neighbor by offering the dignity of work to those normally overlooked or rejected in the hiring process.  It is not giving them an advantage because of their circumstances–it is not disadvantaging them because of those circumstances

It also reflects the nature of the God of the Bible as a God of forgiveness, grace and second chances.  It is the God who famously gave second chances to Moses the murderer, Jonah the deserter, David the adulterer, Rahab the prostitute, Peter the denier and many others.  It reflects the sentiment of Ephesians 4:28:

Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.

CONTINUUM: Proclamation and Practices

The Integriosity model organizes “heart change” along six Covert-Overt Continuums.  There is nothing magic about these categories, but we believe they are helpful in thinking about practical execution of a Re-Imagined Purpose, Re-Imagined Values and a Re-Imagined Culture.  The Continuums are Prayer, Proclamation, Policies, Practices, Products, People.

Each Continuum represents an area in which leaders can begin to think about, plan and institute Re-Alignment changes to the heart of the organization.

“Embrace Biblical DEI” is on both the Proclamation and Practice Continuums.  Proclamation involves actions that share Biblical faith messages with those who may not have a Biblical faith.  Practices reflect, and at the same time help shape and reinforce, an organization’s culture.  Purpose and values define the culture of an organization; the culture shapes the behavior of the people in the organization; and the behavior of the people drives the results of the organization.

On the Practices Continuum, “Embrace Biblical DEI” embodies Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities that an organization must seek to embed in its culture if it is committed to operating with faithful integrity through business a better way.  “Embrace Biblical DEI” is on the Proclamation Continuum because it contemplates openly sharing that the organization is committed to concepts of diversity, equity and inclusion from a Biblical perspective, how those concepts align with Biblical values, and how “Biblical DEI” from a Kingdom perspective differs from what has become the more common worldly understanding of “DEI” often embraced by business as usual organizations in response to political or ideological pressure.

COVERT-OVERT RATING: Overt

The Integriosity model breaks the Covert-Overt Continuums into six gradations–from Highly Covert to Highly Overt–that we believe are helpful in beginning to pray and think about what is most appropriate for an organization at a particular moment in time.

Most Integrity Ideas will have one place on the scale.  Some can vary depending on how they are implemented.  “Embrace Biblical DEI” is at the Overt end of the Continuum because it contemplates an element aspect bof Proclamation.  Whether it is Overt (An overtly faith-based action known generally within the organization), Very Overt (an overtly faith-based action involving suppliers, vendors or customers) or Highly Overt (“an overtly faith-based action involving community, website, sales/marketing materials) depends upon how widely it is explained.

STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees, Suppliers/Vendors, Kingdom

When we categorize faith-based actions, we also consider the stakeholders principally impacted by the action: Employees, Customers/Clients, Owners, Suppliers/Vendors, Community and Kingdom.

“Embrace Biblical DEI” serves employees whether or not it is proclaimed and explained overtly.  They benefit from working in a culture that values Biblical diversity, equity and inclusion.  It serves Suppliers/Vendors to the extent the organization extends those Biblical concepts to the selection and treatment of its Suppliers/Vendors.  “Embrace Biblical DEI’ serves the Kingdom to the extent the organization proclaims what it is doing, why it is doing it, and how what it is doing is different in action, implementation and motivation from more common worldly DEI initiatives.

IMPLEMENTATION

There is a flurry of activity, anxiety and differing views around whether worldly “DEI” initiatives are impacted the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, 600 U.S. ___ (2023), particularly given Justice Gorsuch’s concurring opinion referencing Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

We believe “Biblical DEI” is, and always has been, on solid ground because it is the opposite of discrimination on the basis of the God-given characteristics (such as race and gender) that the U.S. Constitution and U.S. law says should not be the basis of advantaging or disadvantaging people.

Every faithful leader seeking to lead with faithful integrity through business a better way should be praying and thinking about how to implement the Practice aspect of Biblical DEI.  In that context, Biblical diversity, equity and inclusion are part of cultivating an organizational culture that Humanizes People, Beautifies the World and Glorifies God.  As James Hunter observes in his book To Change the World:

To manage a business in a way that grows out of a Biblical view of relationships, community and human dignity before God has divine significance irrespective of what else might be done from this platform.

The Bible is full of assurances about doing the “right thing”.  For example:

So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. (James 4:17)

We do believe that God has implanted every human with what Tim Keller calls “first-order beliefs” such as “honesty, justice, love, the Golden Rule“– a “universal knowledge of God and of good“.   We know deep down that “Embrace Biblical DEI” is the “right thing” to do, and in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “The time is always right to do the right thing.”

The challenge for a faithful leader is the Proclamation aspect of “Embrace Biblical DEI”–explaining to employees and possibly vendors, suppliers, customers and the world, that the organization believes in the DEI of God’s Kingdom rather than the DEI of the world.  It is likely to be met with resistance.  John 16:33 says “In the world you will have tribulation.” “Embracing Biblical DEI” loudly is seeking the BIGGER Kingdom but doing it in a broken world.

As examples of Proclamation, a number of faith-based organizations have published explanations of how they understand and implement diversity, equity and inclusion.  here are a few:

Fuller Theological Seminary: Biblical Lens for Understanding Fuller’s Use of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Whitworth University: Christ-Centered Rationale for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Liberty University: Office of Equity and Inclusion

Geneva College: A Christian View of Diversity

Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary: Unity and Diversity Formal Statement

Turning once again to one of our favorite James Hunter observations:

To enact a vision of human flourishing based in the qualities of life that Jesus modeled will invariably challenge the given structures of the social order. In this light, there is no true leadership without putting at risk one’s time, wealth, reputation, and position.

It is a decision that must be taken prayerfully, remembering the faithful leader’s duty to steward well the organization God has given them to lead.  Although prayer can take many different forms, depending on the discernment of the leader and the existing culture of the leadership team and the organization, the same God who calls leaders to lead with faithful integrity through business a better way will be present to guide, equip and protect those who are called.

Proclamation (and the extent of Proclamation) must come from a spirit of faithful obedience rather than a spirit of pride or ideological opposition.  If the faithful leader discerns through prayer that obedience calls for the Proclamation aspect of “Embrace Biblical DEI”, then as we have written many times, the faithful leader must trust.  The Bible should never be used to cloak a prideful gesture or political or ideological motivation.

John 16:33 assures us that we can have “peace” and that Jesus has “overcome the world“.  Leading an organization with faithful integrity through business a better way in the face of resistance requires faith, and faith requires trust in God.  Trust in God is trust in His sovereignty and promises and trust in His commands.  He is faithful.

PERSONAL NOTE (from PM):  Labelling those of Biblical faith as being “against” is a tactic.  But it is a tactic that works, and many people of Biblical faith have provided more than sufficient ammunition to those intent on tarnishing “faith”, particularly Biblical faith.  Against diversity?  People of Biblical faith should be leading the charge.  Against equity?  People of Biblical faith should be leading the charge.  Against inclusion?  People of Biblical faith should be leading the charge.

The same holds for ESG–but that is a topic for a future post.

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Photo credit: Original photo by Dave Lowe on Unsplash (photo cropped)