Fingerprints

Remember the last time you saw a particularly vivid sunset? Or the first time you saw the ocean? That little gasp that came from you was your soul, expressing awe over the majesty of creation.

Remember the last time you got that tight feeling in your chest, and a lump in your throat as you said goodbye to someone you knew you were going to miss? That was your heart, crying out in longing.

Remember the last time your best friend said something funny, and you barked out a loud laugh that felt like it came from your stomach? That was your brain, recognizing that joy and companionship go hand in hand.

We mistakenly call these things signs of our humanity- but they aren’t. God says he created us in his image, and these are part of that image. Our desire to appreciate beauty, our need for companionship, our expressions of love and longing, these all come from God.

When we “dehumanize” someone based on the color of their skin (and for other reasons, but that discussion is not for today) we aren’t actually dehumanizing them, we are really failing to see God’s creative power and spirit in them. Each of us bears the fingerprints of God, and our failure to see them in others is a strong root of racism.

One of the funniest people I have ever met is Iranian. One of the most beautiful faces I have ever seen is from Burundi, Africa. One of the smartest people I know has blonde hair and blue eyes. I am a short, fat, middle-aged woman of indeterminate ethnicity, but with purple hair and tattoos. So what? God created me, my funny Iranian, my beautiful Burundian, my brilliant blonde. His fingerprints are all over each of us, so why should we be valued or respected any differently?

Those three feelings I described at the beginning of this piece- well, everybody has those feelings, they have nothing to do with the amount of pigment in our skin, or our facial features. When George Floyd was scared and struggling to breathe and calling out for his mom, is there any one of us who could not imagine his disbelief turning to terror and then heartbreak? Is there any among us whose heart wasn’t broken?

We simply must stop treating each other as different. If we have to strain our eyes to see the fingerprints of God on others, then let’s do it. For Christians this is essential, and don’t take my word for it, go check out Matthew 25:31-46 and take that scripture into yourself like the good bread it is.

But, regardless of our beliefs, can we all recognize that our bodies, made up of trillions of cells, are all housing the same emotions and wants and needs and desires and appreciations and loves?

When racism is allowed, or, God forbid, encouraged, we don’t just dehumanize – we disrespect God- his creativity and his Word. We disrespect ourselves because we were created to see others as we see ourselves. The world is watching one nation to see what happens next, but you and I, as individuals, can choose to see and treat each other as the brothers and sisters we are, and that responsibility lies with each of us. I’m praying for God to help me see his fingerprints- before I see anything else.