When I was a kid, late October was the time for the state fair in northwest Louisiana. I remember the strange sensations of the midway. The smell of cotton candy, corn dogs, and Coca-Cola spilled on the hot asphalt. The cacophony of the carousel and the whirling zipper ride with teenage girls screaming with glee. But stranger than all was the loudspeaker blasting the recorded promo in front of the trailer with faded images of the bearded lady, the midget, and others. "Come and witness these strange human oddities," the announcer bellowed. Our family never paused there and my parents never said anything that I recall. We never asked to see the bearded lady or any of her cohorts. And I'm glad.
Human beings come in all shapes and sizes. Some like me have skinnier legs than others or a bald head. Some have petite noses and beautiful lips. Or bushy eyebrows and no beard. But all have the image of God.
As a Christian, I am pro-life. I believe that every human, born or pre-born, is marked with an indelible mark of God's handiwork. Yes, the world is broken and flawed. Disease and deformity are real and heartbreaking. Tragedy happens. Sin has left its mark on creation and continues to. But like a dollar bill that has been abused and torn, it still contains a watermark that identifies it as genuine currency of the United States Treasury. The value is still there as marked.
Every human being still has value—even those we despise: abusers, rapists, and Islamic terrorists. Lying politicians, extremists, and Ponzi-schemers. We all have a list of those we are tempted to put on that "less than human" list. Many of our lists have commonalities. Who doesn't have some disgusting feelings for those who profit from child-porn? Yet, they too, are people who bear the image of God, although distorted by sin and evil. They were once a baby, fragile and crying, dependent on some other human to love and care for them.
In yet one more political conversation with a seasoned Christian recently, I was saddened at how they spoke of their political enemy. There was the smirk, the scorn, the absolute disgust in their voice; speech that sounded vaguely similar to the announcer on the midway, "Witness the gross deformity of this person!" In every other way, this believer shows compassion for the lost, a love for God and His people. My wife mentioned on the way home, "It's like they don't see a human being behind that political position." I agreed. As much as I disagree with a politician's stance on the issues, saddened by the impact on the land I love, I must not forget that there is a human being behind that rhetoric.
When have I sinned by forgetting the Imago Dei in someone?
--the popular preacher who twists God's Word for financial gain
--the guy who collects welfare and abuses the system, even though he could work
--the rude server, flight attendant, or receptionist
--the panhandler who degrades my neighborhood by standing on the corner with a sign
I am not immune to dehumanizing the people I don't like. Wouldn't the world be better without them? That's not for me to decide, any more than it is for me to support abortion. Being pro-life compels me to find value in every person, from the womb to the tomb.
"In the image of God, He created them" (Gen. 1:27).
