One of the significant contextual elements of the language of the image of God in Genesis 1 is the inherent dignity of all humanity. In contrast to other ideologies that used such language only for the powerful, Genesis "democratizes" the language by declaring that all people, men and women, rich and poor, of all nationalities are image-bearers, stewards of the authority of God. Functionally, this serves as the basis for a Christian perspective on human dignity. To be human is to be a member of a royal line, one that has since fallen into dishonor but in whom can still be glimpsed at times the grandeur of its origins. We carry with us the divine task, entrusted to us at creation and still a part of our identity, even though we have done much to hinder the very ideal that we are called to represent.

As I've been suggesting, the tragedy at the heart of the biblical narrative finds humanity caught between image and curse. Image tells us that we have a royal heritage and a divine vocation; curse tells us that we have failed both. There is a word, I think, that perfectly describes our condition as a result of this tension: shame. We live under the constant intuitive sense that something has gone wrong at the very heart of who we are as people; when we are most honest, we admit that this sense of what-is-wrong is directed at ourselves - at myself - and not simply at society at large. Since the garden, we have been hiding, one from another, trying vainly to cover our shame with ever more elaborate constructs; but at the end of the day, they work little better than leaves of fig.

Buried in that narrative from Genesis 3 is, however, a small tidbit that perhaps we forget too easily. God has discovered the betrayal. God has passed judgment, in tears I believe, casting them out of the paradise for which they were intended. The divine task has been frustrated and the image tarnished. And yet, God does something that is beautiful in the middle of the chaos and pain. He covers the shame of the man and woman; clothes them and restores their dignity, such as it is. And, for certain, that restoration is incomplete - but it represents the first sacrificial act in the scriptures, and demonstrates what God's authority truly looks like in operation.

Community in the image of God is where dignity is restored. It is where honor is given, undeserved and unrequested. It is where all people are recognized as humans, as those created in God's image, even when that image is so faded and broken and tarnished that it is barely recognizable. We who are God's people are to be about the task of covering shame - not adding to it. Much of what passes for "Christian" rhetoric these days fails this task miserably. Christian community, in my reading, should never be about exposing the shame of others, but about inviting others created in God's image to find the One who can restore them to their inherent glory. It is about becoming truly human, and helping others to do the same.

I remember a session at a Youth Specialties convention a number of years ago where I heard Tony Campolo relate a story that has etched itself into my memory. He was telling of a woman whom he had encountered who was going through one of the most difficult times in her life. While I don't remember the details of her circumstances, I remember clearly the exchange that took place as he told it. Had she thought of turning to the church for help in her troubles? "Church?" was her response. "Why would I go there? I already feel like shit."

Father, please - forgive us for making people feel like shit.

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