Finding the Image of God

Dealing with death is tough if you are basically clueless about the answers to ultimate questions - where did I come from, why am I here, where am I going. It is no easier for those left behind to deal with it, especially when it is an untimely death. It is nearly impossible to figure out why a young person died when you don't have answers to the other questions. The hopelessness of family and friends at the funeral for such a one is obvious and palpable.

From the perspective of the one officiating at the funeral, the challenge is immense. Two things need to happen - the deceased must be properly remembered and the family and friends comforted. Such comfort as is offered must be genuine and based on ultimate truth, not empty platitudes like "God is love and He has surely taken a good person like _____ to Heaven". If it is apparent that the deceased showed no fruits of righteousness, then it is irresponsible to offer the comfort that "they are in a better place now". Better to be honest or even silent than give false hope.

But what about properly remembering and honoring the deceased, especially when the individual was a real scoundrel and contributed to their demise by a long history of wrong choices? We talk about finding good in everyone even though it takes a great deal of searching. It's true, we should do that. But I believe we should look for something more than just good.

It is not the good in people that gives them worth and dignity. That mindset is where our culture is at and is the result of building a worldview in a false premise. If we got here by the mechanism of evolution, then what is good and most useful is what survives and therefore has value. A Biblical worldview starts in a different place, with a different premise, particularly with regard to the origin of human life. Man unlike all other creatures was created in the image of God. It is that truth alone that sets mankind apart from the rest of creation.

It is the image of God in people that gives them worth and dignity. Yes, I know the fall profoundly altered and distorted that image in Adam and his posterity. But don't forget - sin distorted God's image in man, it didn't destroy it. If the image were completely destroyed, man would have ceased to be man; man would have lost all ability to communicate with God and any possibility of being reconciled to God. So it's really the remnants of that image that we should be looking for in others - in the homeless person, the welfare dependent, the drug addict, our neighbor, our boss, even the scoundrel who is the guest of honor at the funeral.

Then comes the hard part, treating that person on the basis of what we see of God's image in them, that is, with the dignity and respect they deserve.

By His grace,
Sundoulos