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Such anger and anxiety in our nation right now. We feel out of control, and it’s showing. We and our fellow citizens are marching and wearing masks, clamoring and cowering, rioting, and reconciling – desperately trying to find solutions to heartbreaking issues.
But what if the answers we seek aren’t as complicated as the questions?
Illness and injustice are as old as humankind. Jesus himself was an innocent man who was tormented, tortured, and ultimately executed. Yet right before his crucifixion, he gave us the answer to navigating all the complexities and conflicts of the world in one new command.
Love one another.
No one’s saying loving other humans is natural. Even Jesus didn’t say it was easy. But he did say it was possible and that it would change everything.
Here’s the thing: You can’t love people in groups, and you can’t love them from afar. Love is personal. Love gets right up next to others, close enough to see the whites of their eyes and hear the beats of their hearts.
Imago Dei, image of God
The implications of these two Latin words alone should stop us in our tracks whenever we try to put someone in a box or see them as anything other than God’s masterpiece.
Every human being has our own beautiful, broken stories and unique lenses through which we see the world.
We come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. We are products of our cultures and our families and are molded by our experiences and temperaments.
But our differences, which were imagined by God after all, should be celebrated, not despised. And maybe we aren’t as different as we think.
We all crave connection and community. We all know the delight of a joyful heart and the crushing of a broken heart. Our blood looks the same. So do our tears. We were created by love, to love.
Imago Dei
Our faith in a God who treasures each of his children and calls us to stand against injustice in all its insidious forms compels us to value all humans, no matter how broken or beaten down.
We simply start with compassion and let love lead where it will.
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