I am an avid advocate of seeing abortion abolished. I am pro-life to the core. My mom worked at the Caring Pregnancy Center (CPC) for ten years. Growing up, I heard about the horrors of abortion and the sanctity of life. I heard that we were made in the Image of God and therefore we have dignity. I remember it even kept me up at night thinking about the multitude of babies that are killed hourly. Bring pro-life runs through my bones.
But on a daily basis I live in contradiction to the Imago Dei principle. Somehow I can value helpless infants as being precious in God's sight but when I go to Taco Bell I struggle to see the Imago Dei. Rarely do I approach the person at the counter and see a reflection of God's very nature. What an amazing reality the Imago Dei is! But I fail to see people through eyes of faith. Usually I see them through the fleshly lenses. I see a pregnant single mother, a minimum wage worker, a unattractive girl, a rude employee, or a druggie. In Paul's words, I see them according to the flesh:
"From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer" (2 Corinthians 5:16).
Though in context he is talking about seeing people as new creations, we can apply this to anyone we see. Are we seeing those around us as the Image of God that needs to be redeemed and made whole? Are we seeing people's potential? I know I rarely do.
Not only do I see others according to the flesh, I see myself according to the flesh. I do not think of myself as a New Creation, empowered for good works, equipped with everything I need for life and godliness. I usually feel defeated. And when I'm not down and out, it's because I'm trying to cover up my insecurities through flaunting my strengths. But the reality is that I'm weak and God's strength is made manifest as I live a transparent life in dependence on Him.
Becoming a Christian means that the Imago Dei is restored and we are transformed to live a life of godlness. We're made into New Creations so that we can seek out the lost and see them transformed into the same image, the image of Christ, "the image of the invisible God" (Col. 1:15).
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1 comment:
I have often struggled with this same thing. I try to remind myself, "They're an image bearer, just like me." It's difficult though. Our eyes deceive us. They lead us to believe that the Matrix (the physical world) is reality, and teach us to ignore the real world with its deeper truths.
"Sight views things as they seem to be. Faith views things as they really are." - Spurgeon
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