“So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female.”
-Genesis 1:27 CSB
“God saw all that He had made and it was very good indeed.”
-Genesis 1:30a CSB
I love this moment that we read in Scripture, the creation of humans. I love this moment because humans have the distinction that we are all made in the image of God and therefore are image bearers of the creator of the universe. The story goes that God’s original plan was for us to live in a beautifully created world and take in all of its gifts.
Then, sin enters the picture, distorting the original plan and creating a separation of us and God.
But God made a way.
His beautiful creation made in His own likeness, He made a way for each of us to be made whole again through the death and resurrection of His own son, Jesus, paying the price.
This is the love story that is written for us, and it is also the start of our calling. To make disciples, helping others be made whole again. Why? Because every person bears the image of God and deserves to be made whole again.
I wanted to write today both as a reminder and a response to the world I find myself in. Sin is still very much around and that perfect design has not come yet, and with this reality, pride comes in and disrupts systems and people. I talk about pride, because pride causes us to not look at the people around us as image bearers.
We cannot allow pride to root in our hearts and make us forget that the person across from you is an image bearer that God created.
I am so sick and tired of seeing people use other people as a tool for their agendas, we cannot vilify some people and worship others.
Christian, your call is to make disciples and follow the true heavenly king. Jesus has plainly told us to love God with everything and love your neighbor (Mark 12:30-31).
Currently there are protests in Los Angeles, and I am using the correct word of protests, because of a surge of families being ripped apart based on assumptions of their status. Political theater, use of force, chaos all because of pride and a refusal to look at the person across from you and see them as important.
For us as followers of Christ, we cannot choose to look at the person across from us and not see the image of God reflected in them.
Every person has been made in the image of God and deserves to be loved and restored because of Jesus.
The more I continue to walk in my faith, the more I wrestle with Christ on why these systems continue to attack. Why the system of racism persists and a lack of empathy for someone’s experience and prejudice they’ve had to face keeps being a cycle. Why women continue to be seen as a lesser person when that is so not even in Scripture, and yet that seems to be the most important topic for churches and denominations rather than helping local communicates. Why there continues to be a cult following of a leader that would lie about following Christ to get ahead and is yet praised to be God’s gift to America.
I wrestle with these things because my God is big enough to handle my questions, but also because it is a sobering reminder to not forget that every person has been made in the image of God.
Here’s what I’m communicating and where I find myself now, I will follow Jesus and see others the way He sees them, as beloved children made in His image.
We cannot allow pride to take root and make us believe that we are better than others or have a closer rank in the body of Christ. The body is not about who is the better part, but about how every single part is not only unique, but needed.
My heart in this is not to change your mind and see the world through my own lens, that really shouldn’t be the goal for any leader, my heart is for you and I to re-center our minds on the teachings and words of Christ.
The truth is that all people have been made in the image of God and God finds that to be good, the best thing He created. We are loved by God so much that He made a way when He did not have to, but chose to because of His great love.
You are an image bearer of the loving creator of all things, and so is your neighbor.
Remember to love them, because so does Christ.
-Your pastor and friend, Joshua.
About the Author: Joshua Thomas is a husband, father, and pastor doing what he can to love others the way Jesus did. You can find him reading a good book, sipping warm tea, taking pictures, or dreaming. He may not have it all figured out, but the journey is the best part. You can find him on the only social media he uses, Bluesky and Instagram
Joshua Writes 