A few years ago, a college aged girl stopped by my office to chat through issues in life. She kept talking and anguishing about her desire to understand all religions as good and leading to God. Her desire wasn’t rooted in the objective truth claims of the varying religions. The reality is most people don’t believe what they do because of objective truth claims.

Her pluralistic leanings come from her natural tendency to recognize good and beauty in all people. There are good people and beautiful things all around her, and only a handful of these people are followers of Jesus. How can all these good people, beautiful people, be left out of God’s grace?

Her supposed struggle is a noble one. It’s admirable.

As we spoke, I tried to reframe the narrative. She was experiencing guilt for her feelings. There was visible stress, even pain, on her face. She was feeling guilty for caring about people and seeing good in them.

“In a Christian environment that most often looks to the sinfulness of all people as what unites us, she sees the image of God in all people as the unifying reality.”

This young woman isn’t guilty of anything. There is nothing to feel anguish over. She is simply seeing the image of God in all people. She doesn’t first see those around her as sinful people damned without Jesus. She sees people as those created in God’s image. In a Christian environment that most often looks to the sinfulness of all people as what unites us, she sees the image of God in all people as the unifying reality.

She feels guilty for seeing goodness and beauty in all people because she grew up in a Christian culture that has an unfortunate habit of identifying people first, and above all else, as sinners.

How tragic.

The image of God is marred by sin, but sin never has victory over God or his image. Sin is not what unites humanity or marks us as human. Sin is what divides us and makes us less than human. Image bearing is what marks us. Image bearing is our true humanity.

So, there was this girl sitting on the couch in my office, anguishing over what she perceived as weakness. She saw in others the image of God first and sin as a distortion of humanity.

“Our ability and desire to recognize goodness in all people is not a denial of sin. Instead, it is the proclamation that the Lord of all is restoring and redeeming all things and people to himself.”

In reality, her pluralistic leanings are not a weakness but a strength. She recognizes in others that Jesus is Lord of all things and people. This is why they live good and beautiful lives. These people created in God’s image are living under the Lordship of Jesus. They just don’t realize it.

As Jesus followers and communities desiring to join God on mission, we must begin to reveal the image of God in others and witness to the reality that Jesus is Lord of all peoples and places. Our ability and desire to recognize goodness in all people is not a denial of sin. Instead, it is the proclamation that the Lord of all is restoring and redeeming all things and people to himself.

Image Bearing and Mission

Issue 052

October 18, 2020