Healing Rays of Righteousness

Respect for human dignity has become a disposable commodity in a culture of selfish individualism and gratification. When it comes to affirming and protecting the dignity of others, it seems our society has lost its heart and soul. Many in our society are strong in vocal advocating for same, but extremely weak in practice. Increasingly more of us find it easy and acceptable to cruelly “trash” those we do not like or who disagree with us.

Political campaigns and conversations have deteriorated into such sickening trash talking about opponents that any possibility of learning truthful facts about a person or situation is almost non-existent. Unfortunately, this childish and prejudiced name-calling has become the dark character of our American culture in both secular and religious arenas. And most distressing is that such behavior is encouraged at the highest level of our current government leaders. Shame, shame, shame!

What is the origin of our human dignity and why does it demand our respect? In the biblical record of Jeremiah, God is about to send Jeremiah as a prophet into a culture that had lost all reverence for human life. They were corrupting themselves with the most flagrant disregard for human dignity. To encourage and commission Jeremiah as his prophet, God says to him, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5)

Our earthbound little minds imagine conception as only a biological event. Yet this verse forces us to rethink the deeper truths regarding the origin and dignity of human life. If God, as sovereign Creator, is present in the process of human conception, then we must accept that the value of human life is wrapped in the wonderous glory of an eternal relationship with him.

The Psalmist knows this to be true and praises God, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Psalm 139:13-14).

And there is more. Listen carefully to what God said to Jeremiah. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” I clearly hear God saying that our conception and birth are not our real beginning of existence, nor will death end our existence.

Wow! What a wondrous thought to ponder. Before the day and moment of our conception, God knew us. And God dignified us by calling us into existence. God names you and me in his mind and dignifies each of us with a special purpose, plan, and destiny.

It is so awesome to think that before my mother lovingly cradled me in her arms, God wrapped his greater arms around me and held me close, instilling in me a purpose uniquely designed for me. This wondrous thought infuses me with glorious and eternal dignity.

The psalmist acknowledges this truth in his praise to God, “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!” (Ps. 139:16-17).

But, hear ye, hear ye! What God did in bringing us into existence, he did for every human being on this earth. I repeat, What God did in bringing us into existence, he did for every human being on this earth.

It is of utmost imperative that we let this truth permeate our whole being, and into the deepest recesses of our mind and heart. Otherwise, it becomes easy to debate and decide about others based on their usefulness to us, or whether we feel comfortable in their presence.

It is true that many people do not live up to the dignity God instilled in them at their birth. Many do not live up to God’s purpose, plan, and potential. There are many reasons for such failure, but probably the saddest is when it is because they did not receive the affirmation, dignity and respect needed to experience and grow into wholesome personhood.

In my years of ministry as pastor and chaplain, I have encountered individuals in our churches, communities, and workplaces, who struggled with low self-esteem and worthlessness, largely because they seldom heard or felt God’s dignifying affirmation through the human beings that work, play, and worship with them. How sad.

It has also been my joy to see the lives of many of these persons being transformed as they moved into a healing environment that dignified their personhood and treated them with respect as uniquely gifted persons of great worth.

And, I am convinced that our communities, nation, and world can be transformed in like manner if we could agree to reclaim God’s gifting of human dignity for ourselves; and in turn, commit ourselves to dignifying the personhood of all others regardless of their race, religion, politics, or nationality, even as our creator God so graciously does. May God help us to do so!

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – June 10, 2020
 www.geigler13.wordpress.com
Ray M. Geigley