We are reminded this day what it is to be a human being. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. got it. He got that to be human goes further than skin color, further than any physical attribute. He got that injustices were taking place against fellow human beings, and stood on Truth to shed light on their wrongness. He worked with his resources — his God-given communication skills and his connections — to bring that injustice to light, disturbances beneath the water’s surface raised to ripple that surface for all to see. His words and actions turned the world on its head, a glimmer of the One from whom he took his cues.
To be human is so much more than the best human beings can “do.” It is more than easy smiles that lift spirits, the sparkle in the eyes of a laughing child. It is more than a face wet with tears dried by a warm, gentile breeze. It is more than a compassionate touch that soothes, or a lover’s embrace that shimmers and sizzles. It is more than the best moments shared between friends.
To be human surpasses mere physicality.
To be human is to bear the mark of your maker. In this case, every single human being who has ever come into existence has been branded — the seal of God placed upon their immaterial selves, irremovable, irreplaceable, impossibly awesome. Whether we human beings are aware of it or not, we have in our very making — the unfathomable depths of the “us” that we can’t see, and can only “know” — essences, reflections of who God is. We were created as beautiful reflections of Him for Him, always for Him.
But sin shattered the reflective surface, a stone hurled at the mirror. Now, when we “look at” one another we see fractured reproductions, marred masterpieces, hopelessly flawed canvases, the only hope of which is to be added to the stack that lies beneath the One who remained totally intact, the One whose flawless reflection covers those pieced back together with the glue of grace.
To be human is to have been created in the image of God. Everyone qualifies. No matter where they are, how tiny or large they may be. No matter if they’re missing some physical parts or functions — or developing them. No matter if they must be fed through a tube, be it natural or manufactured.
To be human is a right granted by God, not by man. After all, without Him, there would be no “man,” and certainly no “rights.” The qualifications usurp anything that can be defined in judicial chambers. “Humanity” is the term assigned and defined by human rationality, and where did that come from?
Sadly, as the celebration of human equality ensues, it remains that there is a struggle for exactly that still taking place. Sadly, there are countless who are unaware of the injustices happening, the devastating daily extermination of unborn human lives.
Sadly, until citizens and lawmakers understand the disastrous consequences of wrong ideas…
To be human is not enough.