Readings for today: Genesis 1-2, Matthew 1-2:12, Psalms 1, Proverbs 1:1-6
Imago Dei. The image of God. In the beginning, God created human beings in His image. Male and female He created them. Made to be like Him. Made to reflect His glory. Made to be loved by Him. Out of the dust, He fashioned us. He breathed into our lungs His very breath. His very Spirit. It was not good for us to be alone so He made us a partner. A helpmate. The formation of community. The very first relationship. So intimate was this relationship between man and woman, humanity and God, that they were naked and unashamed.
What a beautiful picture of the innate worth and dignity given to every single human being! This passage forms the foundation of our modern day understanding of universal human rights. It’s why we naturally resist - Christian or not - the Darwinian “classification” of human beings. It’s why “de-humanization” in whatever form is so horrifying. One of the worst things we can do from a biblical perspective is treat another human being, another divine image-bearer, as somehow less than what they are.
I remember fighting this battle when I served as a prison chaplain. New Jersey State Prison is the maximum security facility for the state. Death row used to be housed there. It’s where they send the worst kind of criminals. When I was there, 60% of the inmates were serving sentences for murder of one degree or another. The rest had committed some form of violent crime. I believe one of the reasons my ministry was so effective over the two years I was there is because I treated the men with dignity and respect. I honored them as “image-bearers” and they, in turn, honored me. I stayed in touch with many of the men over the years since I left and it has been a joy to watch them grow and change and, in some cases, re-enter society.
Sadly, treating others with dignity and respect is something that escapes our culture. We engage in “de-humanizing” talk on a daily basis. Turn on cable television. Listen to people talk at your local bar or coffee shop. Scroll through your Twitter feed. It’s brutal. Leaders in every sector of society seem to be getting in on the act. Politics. Education. Business. Even the church. We demonize. We character assassinate. We seek to tear down those who disagree with us. Those who think differently than us. Those who come from different countries, different ethnicities, different sexual orientations, you name it. We marginalize and ostracize and persecute and the results are devastating. Depression. Despair. Pain. Suffering. Violence. Even death.
Here’s the first hard biblical truth...every single human being is made in the image of God and is loved unconditionally by God. Every single human being is worthy of dignity and respect. Every human being is made for relationship and community. To hate another human being is to hate someone God loves. To treat another human being with disrespect is to disrespect someone God has formed and fashioned with His own hands. To isolate another human being from relationship or ostracize them from community is to place them in a condition God Himself refused to do. “It is not good for man to be alone...”
Does this mean we simply remain passive in the face of evil? No. Does it mean we let people walk all over us? Absolutely not. Does it mean we can’t set boundaries on unhealthy people? Of course it doesn’t. What it means is that even in the worst of situations. When we are confronting an abuser or someone who has committed an act of violence against us or those we love. When a police officer exercises force to protect us or our military men and women fight an enemy in some faraway land. When someone hurts our feelings or betrays our trust. Even in these situations, we refuse to let anger or revenge or hatred drive us to “de-humanizing” words or actions. We refuse to diminish the image of God in that other person or persons. We ask God to give us the strength to see them as He sees them and to treat them as His justice and righteousness demands.
As you make your New Year’s Resolutions, let me suggest one that could be a game-changer. Resolve to treat everyone you meet and interact with socially, professionally, personally, even on social media as an image-bearer of God. Someone endowed with divine worth and dignity. Someone who is beloved by God Himself. You will be amazed at how this transforms your perspective and brings blessing into your life.
Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 3-4, Matthew 2:13-3:6, Psalms 2:1-12, Proverbs 1:7-9