God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)

True story. We arrived late at night to a denominational meeting. The next day a denominational executive inquired about our late arrival. When I replied that our late arrival was due to a funeral, his response was, “Was it someone significant?”

That incident took place more than three decades ago, but the thoughtlessness and insincerity of the response still remains with me. I was unaware that any human being created in the image of God is insignificant.

How can anyone who bears the image of God be insignificant? Yet, we are currently living in a political and cultural milieu that demeans persons based on skin color, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. I am unaware of any historical or biblical authority that determines white supremacy. Yet, I listen to many self-avowed, evangelical Christians supporting the heretical belief that this country was founded as a white, Christian nation. I defy anyone to document that as a historical or biblical fact. It cannot be done.

We listen to the hue and cry regarding migrants streaming across our southern borders. There are those in the political arena, and sadly those in the pulpit, who decry this influx of persons created in God’s image, as undesirable and worthless. Back off! The image of God is not limited to Lilly white males, who carry big black Bibles and swear allegiance to the KKK.

Before you decide that the illegal immigrant is unworthy of residence in this country be honest enough to examine God’s instructions regarding aliens. For example: “You shall not oppress a resident alien; you know the heart of an alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 23:9) Do we need realistic border controls? Absolutely! Are those who stream into this country looking for justice, mercy, and a better life of less value in God’s sight? No! The image of God does not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity or skin color. It is impossible to support any form of racism from the biblical narrative.

We all have a historical legacy. The only persons who have legitimate claim to being native are native Americans. Ancestry.com has approximately 25 million subscribers. Why? We want to know and understand our heritage. Where did we come from? Who were our ancestors? We all came from somewhere. Yet, there is an unfortunate and demonic attitude toward those who cross our borders today. How soon we forget. . .we all have history.

It is the spirit of anti-Christ to demean another person on external appearances, or ethnic heritage. Jesus shared table fellowship with those considered undesirable in his cultural setting. Tax collectors and prostitutes, lepers and Pharisees, all had a place at Jesus’ table. But God forgive us, we have forgotten the message and model of Christ in our current political climate. Imagine, anyone daring to call persons created in God’s image “filth.”

Sadly, we have demeaned the image of God, incarnated in Jesus the Christ to a sinful, demonic image that reflects our own hatreds and prejudices and bears no resemblance to the one who welcomed everyone to his table.

The tears would not stop when I viewed the body cam footage of a Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy shooting to death an unarmed Black woman removing a pan of boiling water from the stove. What have we become?

The old hymn says, “O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus, because he first loved me.” First John reminds us, “Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.” (1 John 4:20).

Revelation 21:8 describes the fate of liars, “their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur”. Ooops! Maybe, I need to take a look in the mirror before condemning another.

Those religious and political leaders who tell us that persons created in God’s image are filth and undesirable are liars. The image of God is not bound to skin color, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. The image of God is just that: God’s image breathed into each of us with the possibilities of living as God’s representatives in this imperfect world in which we find ourselves.

It is time to put away our portable judgment seats and live into the image of God in which all of us were created. Yes, sin is sin. The judgement of sin rests with God and God alone.

No one is insignificant.