All U.S. currency bears the motto "In God We Trust." But there's nothing homogeneous about how — or whether — Americans embrace that conviction in their personal lives. For more than two centuries, the Bill of Rights has barred the establishment of any particular religion while upholding the free exercise of all of them. As a result, Americans not only reflect a broad spectrum of religious faith, but they do so peacefully.

And so do their elected representatives in Washington.

When the 115th Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3, it will be the most religiously diverse in American history. Though most members of Congress will identify as Christians, they will represent a wide array of denominations: Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Mormon, Christian Science, and Orthodox, among others. But there will also be Muslims (2), Buddhists (3), Hindus (4), and Jews (30), as well as at least one lawmaker who identifies with no religious tradition.

In some countries, blood is routinely shed over such religious differences. In America, those differences are cheerfully accommodated. Senators and representatives are free to take their oath of office on the scripture of their choice. In fact, the Library of Congress provides sacred texts from its collection to members who request one for their swearing-in. The options include Catholic, Protestant, or Eastern Orthodox versions of the Bible; the Torah, the Qur'an, the Book of Mormon, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Buddhist Sutras. Nonbelievers are free to place their hand on a copy of the Constitution.

The incoming Congress will be the most diverse in other respects, too.

As of January, there will be 49 black lawmakers on Capitol Hill, 38 Hispanic lawmakers, and 15 Asian-Americans — a record high in each case. More women will be serving in the Senate than ever before (21), and four of those women will be members of minority groups: Mazie Hirono of Hawaii (Japanese-American), Tammy Duckworth of Illinois (Thai-American), Kamala Harris of California (black and Indian-American), and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada (Latina).

America's roots are amazingly diverse. So are America's politicians.

At the end of a political year in which voters were reminded over and over again of their sharp quarrels and differences, it might seem counterintuitive to look to Capitol Hill for evidence of national unity. Yet the incoming Congress offers a reassuring reminder that despite all the storms and stresses of our political life, respect for our forms of democratic self-government is close to universal.

FROM AN EDITORIAL IN THE BOSTON GLOBE