“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…”” – Genesis 1:26

“God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Genesis 1:27

Recently, I conducted a graveside committal service. While waiting for everyone to arrive, a mother and her young daughter wandered nearby, looking at the tombstones. It was not long until the mom returned and asked her brother and his wife, the little girl’s uncle and aunt, to come with them as their niece wanted to show them something.

The mom said, “Mark you must come too.” So off we went with the little girl leading. She came to a stone just a few rows over and said to her uncle and aunt, “Look. They look just like you guys.” As we adults looked at the pictures on the tombstone, we smiled, but did not say a word.

You see, the little girl and her family were of one race and those in the pictures were of a different race, yet the little girl did not see that at all. What she saw was a man with a shaved bald head and a woman with a hairstyle like her aunts. Silence….pause…ponder. Through the eyes of a child.

I looked at the mom and said, “Wow, your little girl just preached a powerful adult sermon.” Too often, we are quick to see the differences in people rather than the similarities that exist.

Jesus speaking…”Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3-4

Blessings,

~ Mark Knapp – Beck’s Chaplain