Genesis 1:26-27
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
These words are the most foundational words for what Christians believe about humans identity, ethics and value. God created us in his image. Having created the natural world and the animals, God crafts a final creature that is different to the rest of creation. This being will be made in his image and will rule over the world.
The word image is the same word as icon. Imagine a small mirror that reflects an image. That is what Genesis is saying, that you reflect the goodness, beauty and wonder of God to the world around you. You therefore have intrinsic value beyond any other metric. Like a baby, reflecting their parents’ image, you are valuable and loved beyond any need to perform or achieve. God has created you in the image of his glory, wonder and holiness.
This idea of being made in the image of God has shaped Christian ethics and social action throughout history. This was the belief that led to the abolishment of slavery. This was the foundation of democracy, that we should all have equity of influence. Whether you look at the National Health Service, public libraries, homeless shelters, international charities, or youth clubs. So much in our society has flowed out from the belief that every life has value and deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.
This is also a distinctly Judeo-Christian world view. Hinduism teaches hierarchy of value and caste systems. Atheism teaches natural selection and survival of the fittest; the strongest should survive and the weak should disappear. We are told that our value is based on our genes, on our merit and on our reputation. Consumerism places value on our productivity and how much we can generate and accumulate. However, Christianity teaches that our value comes from our humanity. We are all images of God and therefore we should treat everyone with love, dignity and respect.
What you believe about the intrinsic value of life will determine what you think about disabilities, sexual identity, abortion, war, poverty, abuse and every other social issue. Tom Holland (the historian not the superhero) says that we live in a fascinating time in history where our culture wants the fruit of Christianity but without the roots. We want to treat everyone as equals, to give everyone a fair chance to succeed in society and to be considered as valuable despite our differences. All of which are uniquely Christian ideas. However, we do not know why we believe them.
The Bible says that this instinct comes from deep down we know that humanity is special. You matter. You reflect God and were created to be in a position of honour and flourishing.
How does seeing other people as images of God change how you view and treat the people living around you?
How does this change how you see yourself?
