"Whose image is this?”
This lesson should begin with a slow, reflective reading of the spiritual reading in this Quick Connect associated with this lesson.
Does government exist to serve the people or do people exist to serve the government? We would think that the government exists to serve the people. The government like any institution consists of individuals. Each individual is responsible not to serve “the people” but “the person.” When people are served rather than the person, the dignity of the human person can be lost. In the life of Mother Teresa we see an individual not serving “the people” but “the individual person.” Blessed Mother Teresa was known to hold out her hand and pointing to each finger would say, “You did it to me.” Each finger reminded her of each word. When Mother Teresa saw a person she had no question as to, “Whose image is this.” She knew that when she encountered each individual Jesus was saying, “You did it to me.” Mother Teresa lived out the words of Saint John Paul II. “Human-Christian values triumph by subjecting political and economic considerations to human dignity, by making them serve the cause of man – every person created by God, every brother and sister redeemed by Christ.” Government should not serve the cause of “the people” but rather “the person,” keeping in mind the dignity of the individual and the image they are made in.
In the early 1990’s, Cannon had the slogan “Image is everything”. Jesus’s teaching is centered on image. What image are we serving? Are we concerned about our image and preserving and promoting our image? Are we concerned about the images on our material things, the endorsements and icons of popular culture? Are we concerned with the image of God, imprinted on each individual? We have to wonder if politicians are more concerned with serving their own image, rather than the image of God found in each individual. In campaign ads, the image of the candidate is highlighted and the image of the opposing candidate is trashed, while the image of God in each person is completely ignored.
What does image mean to the world? What does image mean to God? Image is so important to the world that billions of dollars are spent each year on advertisement, logos, trademarks, etc. The name “LEGO” is so important to the company that every piece and even the smallest piece has “LEGO” printed on it. If companies care this much about their name, how much more so does God care about His name and image? Man is created in the image and likeness of God and therefore, God is written on the hearts of each person. (Romans 2:15)
Which of the inalienable rights should be the top priority? A youth asked a bishop this question in a catechesis session during World Youth Day 2008. The bishop, similar to Jesus in the Gospel, answered the question by asking a question. He asked the crowd what inalienable rights human beings were endowed with. The crowd said, “Life, Liberty and Happiness.” The bishop went on to explain that the priorities need to be in that order: Life, Liberty, and Happiness. He also explained that in our modern society many people vote based first on what will bring them happiness, issues like the economy, taxes, jobs and other self-interests. Second, people vote on what will bring them security, issues like border security, military, etc. Lastly, people vote on life issues, the dignity of the human person. The bishop said these priorities should be reversed and people should consider first life, then liberty and lastly the pursuit of happiness.
What is the reality of man? First, Christ redeems man. Second, man is called to the fullness of eternal life. “In a way, for us, who know Jesus Christ, human and Christian values are but two aspects of the same reality: the reality of man, redeemed by Christ and called to the fullness of eternal life…”[i]
What does it mean that Christ redeems man? One thing it means is that man is fallen, every man. Every man is equal in at least one thing, and that is that they are fallen. A second thing that this means is Christ offers redemption to all men with no exception. God redeems the world by redeeming each individual. Each person is worth redeeming, no one is disposable and no one is unnecessary.
What does it mean that man is called to the fullness of eternal life? Man is called to live life to the full, a fullness that does not consist only in a temporal life, but an eternal life as well. The material goods we have, the ideas and agendas that we hold should help man live life to the full, now and later. Ideas and goods should be at the service of both the temporal and the eternal. Most of all ideas and goods should not be an end in themselves but a means to the most important end, “fullness of eternal life.”
In the Short Film, Volition, what are the three groups and how do they view the reality of man? What do they believe is the call or purpose of man? How do they feel about the dignity of each person?
How do we know that man is called to the fullness of eternal life? “The desire of God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for.” [2]
[1] Saint John Paul II, Homily Philadelphia, 3 October 1979
[2] CCC 27