Injustice and Imago Dei

Why do so many seem complacent when it comes to injustices that happen? Does the word injustice seem too political so that it becomes just another abstract concept in the battlefield of politics?

Maybe people are complacent because they think that injustices don’t impact them. Maybe it’s just easier to turn a blind eye, rather than deal with something. Maybe it’s that people have the privilege of not having to deal with an injustice.

Why do some people seem more upset by others who point out an injustice, rather than the actual injustice? Do people feel guilty? Do they feel like they are implicated because they haven’t spoken up?

Maybe it just comes down to a basic principle of humanity — people seek pleasure and avoid pain. By ignoring an injustice, people are avoiding pain. Scoffing off an injustice as unimportant avoids the pain of the injustice. It avoids the connection with the victim of the injustice. I turns off our empathy and keeps the injustice as an abstract idea that can be debated at arms length.

As followers of Jesus, we have a responsibility to speak up, to be uncomfortable — to sometimes make others uncomfortable too — in order to change the situation. Because when it comes down to it, those who fall prey to an injustice are uncomfortable. And we are connected to them, whether we like it or not. At our core, we share the imago dei — the image of God. How can we ignore the image of God in another person? By either forgetting the image of God, or by blocking it out. When that happens, we lose sight of the humanity of others. We also lose sight of God.

Originally published at http://laceduplutheran.com on September 9, 2019.