The Image of God
“Let us make mankind in Our image and in Our likeness.”
Genesis 1:26
Injustice, oppression and racism is saddening and angering. Every person, regardless of their culture, class or creed, is worthy of dignity as image bearers of God. Being an image bearer of God means that our origins are very high and therefore our value is very high – extremely high.
“What is mankind that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him? You made him a little lower than Elohim (God); you crowned him with glory and honour.”
Psalm 8:4-5
Our origins, value and dignity is not merely a little higher than the animals, but amazingly, a little lower than God.
Not Christian people – all people.
Mankind was created very high, but is fallen.
Our world is beautiful and broken.
In these trying times, we are outraged by the endless catalogue of ways we continually hurt, oppress and kill each other. We cry out for justice. Again. As we are rightly mortified by the recent acts of racism, may we be willing to look in the corners of our own hearts to confess our subtle forms of racism. While we rightly call out for the need for societal and institutional reforms, may we also search our own hearts, considering and confessing where we need personal reform. As we are rightly outraged by fevered ideologies of race superiority, may we consider how, in our own unique and unloving ways, we relate to others with venomous superiority.
As we rest in the comfort that God’s mercy covers all our our sin, may God give us the grace to extend mercy for those who sin against us. May the reality of God’s perfect, final justice, enable us to be people who seek justice without becoming as hateful and vengeful as the injustice we oppose.
Press on,
Paul