Look Deeper

There is a line in Paul’s second letter to the Church in Corinth (chapter 5, verse 16) that continues to challenge me. He wrote, “From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view…” In the previous verse, Paul tells us that Christ died for everyone. Not just people who think like us, or vote like us, or who raise their children like us. Not just people of our generation or social status. Paul says Christ died for all – therefore we regard no one – no one – from a human point of view.

That means that we don’t just see them as they appear on the surface. We have to look deeper. We don’t just see their faults. We don’t just see their issues. We don’t just see them according to what they can do for us. We look at other people as sacred beings that Christ died for.

A friend shared with me once that one of her spiritual disciplines is to try and see the image of God in every single person she meets. Think about how that might change your interaction with people around you. What if you remembered that rude person behind the counter waiting on you as someone who Jesus loves; or that person who cut you off in traffic; or, the mean neighbor, or the homeless guy on the corner, or the mother-in-law who constantly tells you how to raise your children? What if we tried to remember that they are people who are struggling just like us, and Christ died for them – just like Christ died for you?

I have to believe that when we look for that image of God in others, that image shines brighter in us.

Our prayer today was written by Rev. Roger Kunkel, founder of Dial Hope Ministries. Let us pray: Loving God, who changes rivers in their course and alters the paths of the stars, infuse us and flood us today with joy and hope. Let the radiant power of your Holy Spirit destroy any negativity or cynicism in us and fill us with positive feelings of love and affirmation. Help us to say yes to the things that are good, and no to the things that devalue life. Mold us more in the image of Christ that we may hear you say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.