“It is extremely important for me to embrace my culture, my ethnicity, my race and my gender. This is my particularity. It is also incredibly important for me to embrace that I am a part of the larger community. This is my universality.”
Her clarity of identity manifested in both particularity and universality was truly inspiring and I have been dwelling on that reflection ever since I heard her words.
Particularity:
Webster:
• The quality or state of being particular as distinguished from universal
Chat GPT:
• Particularity refers to the unique and specific characteristics or attributes of an individual or a particular instance. It emphasizes the distinct qualities that make something or someone different from others
Universality:
Cambridge:
• The quality or state of being universal (= existing everywhere, or involving everyone)
Chat GPT:
• Universality, on the other hand, refers to principles, ideas, or characteristics that are applicable or relevant to all or a broad range of cases. It seeks to find commonalities or general truths that can be extended across various situations or contexts.
Having the capacity to embrace particularity and at the same time universality, I would suggest, is more critical now than ever. That’s because this dynamic is at play in all aspects of our lives: family, friends, community, country and the global context. On the one hand it is important for us to live into the fullness of those things that make the particularities of who we are – culture, family of origin, faith tradition and our own unique characteristics. And at the same time to live into the fullness of being part of the larger whole of creation, humanity and community.
The ask of particularity is to not only respect the uniqueness but be aspirationally appreciative. The ask of universality is create the space where all know unequivocally that they are an equally valued part of the whole.
The genius of the Creator is the diversity of creation. Particularities manifest a rich mosaic with the endless possibilities of creation. Universality is the breathtaking 360 degree view atop the mountain of the connectedness of all creation.
Many parts…one body
And if you want to see particularity and universality in living color all you have to do is look at the Trinity icon by Rublev
BP