Made in the Image of God

Ken Bontrager
October 2, 2020
Fourth of Four / 2020 Essays on Race and Diversity

Camp Deerpark, from the beginning in 1969, has been a place where people of all cultures have come together to break down barriers. In June, Kevin Smith shared his perspective on race relations and diversity. Following is the fourth and final short essay from my perspective.

I have been honored and blessed to have been invited into many conversations and experiences over the past 37 years which have shaped and enriched my life. Ms. Mary Joseph told me the key is changing the heart, not the laws. Dr. Drew Hart challenged me to push into knowing the other side. Jesus called both a tax collector and a zealot to be his disciples. And finally, David Miller stressed Imago Dei, the importance of seeing every person as made in the image of God.

Genesis chapter one tells us, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

It is a very simple yet important point in thinking about racial diversity. Any diversity. The underlying sin is to lose sight of the fact that we are made in the image of God.

Throughout history we see that as humans we tend to dehumanize those who are different from us. On a global scale we come up with all kinds of slang and derogatory titles for people we are at war with. During WWII we referred to the enemy as the Krauts and the Japs. On the national front we belittle the folks who live in a different region. I grew up in the “fly over” region. We call people from the south rednecks and people from the northeast ____ Yankees. In our local communities we have names for people who grew up on the south side of the tracks or on “snob hill”. Within the church community, if we are Mennonite, we have names for Pentecostals and if we are Pentecostal we have names for the Lutherans.

The dehumanizing intensifies exponentially when it is based on color of skin or some other aspect of how God created us.

The name calling and politically incorrect slang is offensive, but the sin is that we fail to see the other as Jesus sees them. The gospels are full of stories of how Jesus encountered those marginalized by society. In Mark 5 we have the story of the woman with the issue of blood. With the crowd pressing in all around him Jesus said, “Who touched my garments?” Perhaps there are much deeper theological lessons here, but I am impressed with the dignity with which Jesus treated her. In one brief encounter she went from a fearful mistreated woman with an incurable disease to a woman of dignity.

One of my first lessons in recognizing others made in God’s image came in high school when I had the opportunity to spend a summer working at a camp for children and adults with disabilities. During our free time it was tempting for the staff to identify our cabin members by their disability. “We have four wheel chairs and a walker.” “Our cabin has an MD and two MS.” The leadership at Camp Sunnyside did a great job of holding us accountable to see past the disability and into the heart and character of each camper. Consequently, forty years later I remember Harris, Brad, and Mary. Yes, I remember their disability, but more than anything I remember their amazing personalities.

If I want to reflect the love of Jesus in our world, I must commit myself to viewing, especially those I disagree with, as being made in the image of and being deeply loved by God. I must be an agent of healing. Even if I have not experienced the pain of being mistreated or humiliated because of my skin color, I must do my best to empathize.

This is not a problem that began in the past two weeks and it will not be solved easily or quickly. Please know that Camp Deerpark will continue to be a space where authentic relationships are formed and strengthened across cultural barriers. Know that we will always be leaning on the Lord’s side.

Previous Essay: Peter and Matthew

Related Entries

• 2020 Essays on Race and Diversity
• Peter and Matthew
• The Other Side
• Whose Side Are You On?