GLORIA DEI

After reflecting on worship this past Sunday, Don Hange, Jr.’s Invitation to Stewardship and Prayer at the Table continue to resonate with me. His mention of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) as core gospel values—and values we can actively pursue—have stayed with me.
 
The work of promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is deeply rooted in the Civil Rights movement, and it also intersects with the work of feminism and womanism. When considering the work of DEI, some essential questions come to mind: Who is in the room? Who is trying to get in, but can’t? Has everyone’s voice been heard? The ultimate goal of DEI is to create a culture where people feel they belong and can truly thrive and flourish.

Programs promoting DEI have faced significant opposition from local, state, and federal governments. For example, at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, the words “fairness,” “respect,” “initiative,” “leadership,” “compassion,” “character,” and “integrity” were “erased” and covered in gray paint following the current president’s executive order “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing.” Furthermore, most federal employees have received memos instructing them to report any efforts to “disguise” diversity programs, with threats of “adverse consequences” for those who don’t comply. We have federal employees in our congregation who have been directly impacted by these mandates.

With DEI becoming a “buzzword” in national discourse, I couldn’t help but notice that Dei is Latin for God—quite literally, “to God” or “of God.” For example, the phrase Gloria Dei translates as “Glory to God.” In Catholic traditions, the phrase Mater Dei translates as “Mother of God.” While I doubt that those who coined the DEI acronym had the Latin meaning of Dei in mind, I find this linguistic coincidence intriguing and meaningful.
 
In Don’s Invitation to Stewardship, he quoted Dr. Wil Gafney, who said, “We all have the ability to manifest God’s love and priorities.” He concluded his charge to the church by reminding us, “We are called by Jesus, through his actions and words, to extend the love of God to everyone, all of God’s creation, and in the spirit of diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and acceptance—just as Jesus did.”
 
In worship each Sunday, we sing a Doxology after the Invitation to Stewardship and offertory. Doxology is a Greek word, and in Latin, it’s Gloria Dei. Thanks be to God for Washington Avenue Christian Church, which gives glory to God by embodying and practicing the values of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion—just as Jesus did.

With you in the work of GLORIA DEI,

Pastor Nathan