In the Likeness of God

So God created humankind in his image,

in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them. ~ Genesis 1:27

Looking at a post on my computer this morning, I was drawn to an image of beautiful birds – one of each color of the rainbow. Below this image was a group of children – one from each ethnicity here on earth. Below this image was a message asking why we can appreciate the beauty of creation in all that is around us, yet we do not appreciate the differences in each other. This really got to me. I have a very blended extended family, so I don’t think much about the differences between ethnicities. The media, on the other hand, seems to really enjoy publicizing our differences in a most negative way, churning up bitterness between the races.

Recently, a sister in Christ of mine and I compared notes on this very subject. She, being of a different ethnicity than I, said she always envied the hair my ethnicity, while I expressed how I loved the many shades of skin tones and complexions of hers. Why doesn’t the media see the positives instead of the negatives as we do? God did create us all in His likeness. He did not express that one ethnicity was better than the other. He did chose a people to claim as His own, yet He gave His only Son to us through his chosen people to bring us all back in relationship to Him.

I think if the media would quit giving so much attention to the negatives between peoples and instead concentrate on the positives between us, hate would not continue to grow for each other at such an alarming rate. Instead, those that are wary of other ethnicities might actually see others different from themselves in looks as being just as beautiful as they are in the sight of God and perhaps help change their hearts for the better toward one another.

How can we help bring others different than ourselves to a closer relationship with one another and to Christ? How can we, as God’s people, learn to put aside any biases we have and chose to love each other as Christ loves us? We need to learn to put blinders on when it comes to seeing others differently and instead, look for our positive commonalities to create the loving family of God here on earth.

Prayer

Dear Lord,

It is so disturbing to see all of the negativity and hate in this world. Help us to see others as you see us – as your beautiful creation that is to come together as one to worship You as brothers and sisters who all share you as Our Father. Amen.

~ Wendy Miller