1) They are a person made in the Image and Likeness of God, and therefore, possessors of an intrinsic dignity and worth not conferred on them (and thus irrevocable) by any other human being, and
2) They are a sinner in desperate need of God's mercy.
It has long seemed to me that most, if not all, of the cultural/political quarrels of our day stem from emphasizing one or the other of these truths at the expense of the other, preferring to see their fellow-citizens (and themselves) as either only god-like, or only depraved. And that those who agree with them are especially god-like, and those who disagree with them are wicked fools.
But the Christian knows (and I would submit that empirical evidence suggests) that he and his fellow-humans are neither all one, nor all the other, but both at once, holding these seemingly contradictory truths in tension. As Solzhenitsyn said, "the line between good and evil runs through the middle of every human heart. . ."
"holding these seemingly contradictory truths in tension"...yeah, I agree. A few days ago I was reminded that each and every one of us is made in God's image, and how would He want me to treat that person? Not an easy goal, nor one that will likely be reached, but one that calls us to strive for.
ReplyDeleteEspecially that guy who's yelling at you, calling you nasty names, right?
DeleteI admit to struggling with #1 when seeing the evil in the world.
ReplyDeleteSome years ago, it struck me that even Hitler, Stalin and Mao were made in God's Image and Likeness. They weren't just these Historical Monsters; they had mothers, just like me. And yet. . .
DeleteHave you ever heard the story of someone saving 4 year old Hitler from drowning? I’m unsure if it’s verified, but talk about no good deed . . .
DeleteI looked that up; it's not documented that the child who was rescued was Adolf Hitler, but the people who lived to talk about it later all said that it was. Crazy how history turns on such small, unnoticed events. . .
DeleteWhether that one is true or not, near the end of WWI a soldier had the chance to shoot Adolf but chose not to. That one HAS been verified ..... astonishing the ramifications of just one moment, one act ... or one failure to act. Then again, Adolf had many like-minded advisors and cronies, who's to say if one of them would have been capable of something similar or worse in his absence?
DeleteYour sin is unforgivable, my sin is understandable .....
ReplyDeleteAs far as the quandary, look no further than King David. Braggart, adulterer, murderer, and yet .....
Yeah, King David gives me a lot of hope. . . ;)
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