Standing Together in Unjust TimesSample

### Made in the Image of God When I think of the section of Scripture known as the Beatitudes, I’m reminded of just how countercultural Jesus’ life really was. He did not care about a person’s station in life but instead talked openly about how the “weak things” of the world were of vast importance in God’s perspective. In Matthew 5:3-12, in his Sermon on the Mount, we hear Jesus talk about the “blessed.” He points over and over again to the way in which God affords special favor to those whom we would probably consider to be unfortunate or even cursed. When Jesus’ way of thinking—that everyone is worthy of our care—becomes the new normal, we will be able to move forward. This is the real essence of social justice: the pursuit of a society that welcomes each and every person and draws them into a community that is excited about what they have to contribute. Jesus extended an invitation to everyone he came across, no matter their social standing. What if we really believed that people around us are just like us because they, too, are part of the human family? It would change the ways in which we see ourselves, our communities, and our connections to those whom Jesus described as “our neighbors.” We would become individuals who reach out to those who are different in an effort to see them as another human being who is made in the image of God. Have you ever avoided an interaction with someone because of the color of their skin or their economic status? What caused it? Have you been closing yourself off to people? Is there anything you wish were different? How would you define compassion ?