Straw Men and Image Bearers

"The easiest thing to do is throw a rock. It's a lot harder to create a stained glass window."...Jon Foreman, Switchfoot

Straw men garner all our attention. Easier to argue with the label on the lapel than the flesh and bone man inside it. Christian, gay, liberal, Nazi, white, black, homeless we categorize each other. Blind to the Imago Dei; the image of God in you I see myself as a little god and strip you of your humanity. No matter who you are. No matter what you say. Both the transient and the man living at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

I have more rules about people than Seinfeld. I judge on the image presented instead of image innate. Seeing all people as image bearers means constant reorienting. My prejudice submits. I consider you more important than myself. When we disagree I don’t call you names.  I seek to understand your point of view.

Baptist theologian James Leo Garrett offered a good rule of thumb: “Until you can state your opponent’s view so well that he himself says, `Yes, that’s what I believe,’ you aren’t ready to debate him.” That takes work and a willingness to listen. More difficult still a willingness to change, or adjust, your view. Its easier to mouth mantras spoon fed to us. Having a different view doesn’t make you less human.

Where to begin? The people across the street with the ‘vote no’ on my yes issue? The coworker that baits me with political talk? The unfortunate that I exchange nods with down by the river? It starts where I live. Extends to wherever I go. All people are created in God's image. There’s a parable like that. Turns out everybody’s my neighbor.

Ready For The Afterlife

  
It is the worst of all connections. I refer to the internal wiring that connects a current experience to an experience in the past that causes rage. Specifically my work environment is less than positive taking place in an environment that is not supportive with a boss that is ego-centered and accusatory. Yesterday I found myself viscerally reacting to his criticism in a way that made no immediate sense. It only made sense if what I was reacting to was something else such as a past event.

While it does some good to ruminate on possible childhood connections this satisfies only part of the picture. The reality is still that I have to deal with my emotions and my thinking in the present. I’m doing a lot of praying; asking for forgiveness and asking for wisdom. The positive is that it’s keeping me crying out.

Through these difficult circumstances and annoying little trials I find ultimately it helps to seek ministry to others and not focus so much on self. Beyond that it helps if I continuously sing songs to God especially songs focusing on Heaven my home. These things all seem to help through these days of trial. When my life is on cruise control it’s easy to get attached down here. When I’m struggling with multi-faceted trials I can sing, “I’m ready for the afterlife.”