The Dignity of Every Human Being
Christmas 2
The Rev. Tim Nunez
The Dignity of Every Human Being
Last Sunday we baptized baby Lilly Van Hook. As part of the baptism service, all Christians who are present and, I hope, those watching online reaffirm our Baptismal Covenant, which is mostly the Nicene Creed in a question and answer format. And there are a series of additional promises as well. (I’m making a New Year’s resolution right now that I will preach on each of those promises this year.)
One of them, the last, came to mind this week as I reflected on our collect. It asks us, “Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?” Our response is, “I will with God’s help.” (BCP 305)
Our collect each Sunday intends to gather or collect our thoughts and prayers with a particular focus reflected in the scripture for that Sunday. This week we prayed to God, “…who wonderfully created, and more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature….”
I know what dignity is, but I looked it up to get the actual definition. It was curious because the first definition dealt with the way we tend to use it, “A formal reserve or seriousness of manner, appearance, or language.” But that speaks to the appearance of what we would hope and expect underlies such a manner of being, “The state or quality of being worthy of honor or respect.”
We normally use the word dignity to describe an exceptional quality in a person, yet here we proclaim it as an essential part of our Christian world view for every human being, and our collect prays it as an essential and restored part of human nature. And we do so when we are celebrating Christ’s birth.
This is resident in our deepest memories of being created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26). Our awareness of past, present and future as well as our capacity to imagine and create. We also know that despite our extraordinary capacity for good, free will often is exercised in wrong, destructive and evil ways. We can look at human history and our own past, our own hearts, our own minds.
We are not meant ultimately for here, this life of however many years and all that life includes, joys and sufferings. We are meant to be with God forever. None of us are where He needs us to be. Not yet.
Jesus comes into the world to heal that break from God. We find in him the fulfillment of Jeremiah and of all the prophets. Its why the wise men from the east were moved to find Jesus and pay him homage. The world has changed. Note that their journey is one of discovery. Jesus is already there. They haven’t come up with a new philosophy out of their wisdom. They have discovered what God has already done and is doing in the world and in each of them as well.
The dignity of every human being involves the potential every person has to be fully reconciled with God. I don’t know that everyone will, scripture is quite clear that some will choose otherwise, but we are to always hold out for the very same potential, the possibility, that has been held out for us. I like to think that I’m a decent guy, that I’m ok and on balance respectable. But I’m acutely aware of my shortcomings, my failures and my internal struggles. And, so, I’m acutely aware of how far Jesus has brought me and how far he’s got to yet to bring me.
But make no mistake, he’s with us. As Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus, “He chose us before the foundations of the world.” Christ is emerging and growing within all who follow him.
So how do we respect the dignity or every human being? Here's a New Year’s Resolution worth adopting for this year and for the rest of our lives. Start looking at other people as though they are Jesus in disguise. Now, you can only push that so far. Don’t go breaking a jar of oil on their head. Don’t act like they are perfect.
But recognize that potential that Jesus holds for them. Recognize that inside, underneath whatever weakness or faults you see, that person is also a beloved child of God, created in his image. That light of Christ is in all people. You start treating them as Jesus and watch what happens.
In my first parish there was a young man named Michael Moore. Although he was in his 30’s, Michael was entrenched as the acolyte at our 8:00 Sunday morning and our Wednesday service every week.
Michael was perfect at it. He was never late, never missed a step and, at times, he would correct me. He was much beloved by the whole church as was his mother, Virginia, who made sure everyone who came to church received a hug.
Michael and Virginia came to our church because another church up the road had quietly asked her not to bring him because his condition was, in their view, a sign of sin. Michael had Down Syndrome.
Michael was a very high functioning Down Syndrome guy. He could read and write. He would remember everything you told him and he wanted to know all about you. In fact, he’d have you fill out a fact file listing your family, favorite food, favorite movie, etc. and he would memorize it. He was a ham and had a great sense of humor.
As it turned out, Michael and Virginia had a very nice life together. She was in her 80’s and needed his help as much as he needed hers. She took care of him and he took care of her. He cleaned the house and took care of the yard. She shopped, cooked, did the laundry and paid the bills.
It was so very clear that God was using Michael to teach us deep lessons about the dignity of every human being. He brought the best, the Christ out of people. It was also so very clear that the people of the church were helping Christ to grow in him. He affected me. His picture is in my office right now. Virginia was among the most faithful and effective Christians I’ve ever known.
Michael is a very sympathetic example, but this is what undergirds Jesus’ commands to care for the prisoner, to love our enemies, to be good to those who persecute us. The light of Christ is in there.
I hope that God doesn’t give up on me and he does not allow me to give up on you. Or anyone like you. Or anyone decidedly unlike you. This drives ministry, from the prayers that begin with pregnancy, birth and baptism – all our beginnings – and continue through life to the prayers we have for the sick, the suffering, and the dying.
That is great joy in ministry, lay or ordained. The people you get to serve and work with are the best parts of the whole deal. After every class we teach, people will cite the group discussions as the best part. When people talk about their service at our Thrift Shop they talk about how much they enjoy the customers and the other volunteers. The same is true with the teams who cook our breakfasts. It drives our care and concern for our sister church in Honduras.
All of the good work we do is important, but relationships are the keys to building God’s kingdom. We work on seeing the dignity of all of God’s people.
AMEN!