This is part two of an eight-part series exploring the eight Jesus questions all of us must face, highlighted in Jim Wallis's new book Christ in Crisis: Why We Need to Reclaim Jesus (HarperOne), available now. These next eight weeks will help us go deeper than the headlines, to find our way back to Jesus in the midst of this intensive and exhausting news cycle. 

Want to hear this in an audio format instead? We just launched an eight-episode podcast series called Reclaiming Jesus Now that features Allison Trowbridge and William Matthews speaking with Jim Wallis about these questions and their relevance today.

Who bears the image of God? According to Genesis 1:26-27, each and every human being does.

“Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion [i.e., stewardship] over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.’ So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

The foundation of all human rights, equality, and dignity is all of us being created in the image of God — imago Dei. Seeing all people, no matter their race or ethnicity, gender, who they are, how they worship, or who they love, as full image-bearers of God undermines any human attempt to build barriers or divisions between groups.

This issue, about the image of God, is so morally foundational to everything we say and do in both our personal lives and in our politics that it must be raised again and again to remember and remind others what is at stake when we see God’s image being denigrated, devalued, or discarded. This has sadly become routine in American politics, with fresh examples in the news every single day.

Learn more about Jim Wallis' book here. 

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