"I'm not in this world to live up to your expectations. Neither are you here to live up to mine." so runs the opening lyric of Peter Tosh's reggae classic I am That I am.

Much of the plentiful grief in this world derives from intolerance, the inability to accept others who may differ from oneself in behavior or belief. And yet the world is big enough to accommodate all manner of diversity.

The truly amazing thing about life on earth is the uniqueness of every individual. Even identical twins are not truly identical, and despite their genetic similarity will each establish unique life paths.

Every one of us is a complex package of talents, weaknesses and preferences. Subjected to a unique set of circumstances and experiences, our peculiarities continue to shape themselves throughout our lives.

That we are all different may well be the very reason for our existence. By differentiating ourselves from the single source that is Spirit we are able to play out myriad scenarios, each helping satisfy the eternal thirst for experience.

Our differences are evident within the workplace, in families, internationally (too often resulting in the mass murder called war), even waiting in line for the bus. They may boil over into hatred over something as trivial as the support of rival sports teams.

The Master Jesus taught us to show unconditional love for all humanity. For many this is too big a deal for a single lifetime. But mightn't we begin by practicing universal acceptance. Stopping short of loving the next guy, can't we at least accept his right to be what he is, as we cherish and exercise our same right to be what we are?