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Embracing God’s Image In Ourselves And Our Neighbors

Embracing God’s Image In Ourselves And Our Neighbors

Last updated on: February 15, 2026 at 2:18 am by Henry Karlson

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Embracing God’s Image In Ourselves And Our Neighbors 2026-02-15T02:18:29-05:00 Henry Karlson

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Abraham shows us one way we can encounter God in and with others in the way he showed three strangers hospitality. He is said to have encountered God. Due to God’s image being found in others, we encounter God in others, and so we should imitate Abraham. Image: Benaki Museum: The Hospitality of Abraham / Wikimedia Commons

It is important for us to purify our heart, cleansing it from all selfishness and pride, if we are to properly love God (and everyone else through our love for God). We should treasure our neighbor because God’s image and likeness is found in them; and since God’s image is in then, treasuring them means we treasure God so that in our love for them we will find our heart truly is with God: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matt. 6:21 RSV). This is why, showing love and care for our neighbor does not take us away from God, but rather, brings us closer with God. If, instead of caring for others, we focus on ourselves, if we love ourselves more than our neighbor, our treasure will lie with ourselves (and not God). This is because our focus will lead us away from the image of God within, an image of love which will have us relate to others with love, and in its place, it will focus itself on the false-self we create with our sin, the self which we use to cover up and mask our true self (and the image of God found in that true self).

To purify our hearts, we must seek to know ourselves, our true selves, uncovering the image of God within. This can be extremely difficult because when we try to know ourselves, we end up getting caught up in some new web of deceit created by our false self; we get distracted by that false self, or some version of it, which we end up pursuing instead of the real self which lies underneath it all. Sadly, we can find that our pursuit of our true self can end up causing us to go in circles, constantly pursuing a new iteration of the false self instead of the true self within. This is why we need external help, such as grace, and direction from others, if we want to see through the illusion the false self creates. It is also another reason why we must engage and work for the best for others, because when we do that, we move beyond the false self and its domain; we stop focusing ourselves on ourselves, allowing ourselves to ignore and so die to that false self, so that it slowly loses its hold on us. Even then, care must be had: we make sure we do not use our true self, or the true self of others, as mere tools, as objects which help us obtain God instead of subjects who should be loved and respected for the value they have in themselves.

Therefore, we should engage hospitality, welcoming people who come to us with our love. We are not to get so caught up in their beliefs and opinions that we end up needlessly debating them instead of focusing on the care we should show to them. “As for the man who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not for disputes over opinions” (Rom. 14:1 RSV). The hospitality of Abraham at Mamre should serve as the example we have of what it means to be hospitable. Abraham, welcoming three strangers, welcomed God, and so we, welcoming others, will find we welcome God. Our acts of hospitality will bring us into a better relationship with God. We are not to be judgmental with those in need; if they are different from us, if their practices or ways of engaging God, and the world at large, is not our way, we still should show them love and respect, never trying to undermine them and their dignity and honor. “Let not him who eats despise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains pass judgment on him who eats; for God has welcomed him” (Rom. 14:3 RSV).

Thus, following what Paul said, vegetarians and meat-eaters should welcome each other, and in that welcome, respect their differences. Everyone has their reasons for what they do, some to be sure, better than others. As we don’t know the experiences and reasons why people do as they do, when they come to us in need, or seeking hospitality, it is not our time to raise the issue and force them to be like us. When we find people who are different from us, we should not judge or condemn them for those differences. What we need to do is love. We need to respect them. Most of the time, it is not our role to pass judgment. “Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Master is able to make him stand” (Rom. 14:4 RSV).

Of course, we are not meant to let grave injustice go unstopped; we must do what we can to properly put an end to them. However, we must always do so with the right means. We are to be just and merciful to others even as God is just and merciful towards us. “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matt. 6:14-15 RSV). We need to embrace the spirit of forgiveness, make it a part of who we are, for it is in and with that spirit we will be able to meet others with the love and care they need from us. We should not let our opinions about them get in the way of such love. Our heart should be with them, and, again, when it is with them, it will find itself with God. If we are not merciful, if we are unrelenting in our condemnation, we will not welcome them; and then we will find we will slowly not welcome others, until all we have is ourselves, or rather, the false self which we have created, making it not only our treasure, but the source and foundation for our experiences in the world, the kind which in the end will be hellish (because our false self, with the illusion it brings, has nothing substantial to satisfy us). And so, we let us seek to do what is right, to engage the light of love instead of the darkness of hate, allowing that light to serve us as our armor against all unrighteousness (cf. Rom. 13:12), especially the unrighteousness which leads us to be unmerciful, for, if we reject mercy, we will find we will not be able to have any for ourselves.

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N.B.: While I read comments to moderate them, I rarely respond to them. If I don’t respond to your comment directly, don’t assume I am unthankful for it. I appreciate it. But I want readers to feel free to ask questions, and hopefully, dialogue with each other. I have shared what I wanted to say, though some responses will get a brief reply by me, or, if I find it interesting and something I can engage fully, as the foundation for another post. I have had many posts inspired or improved upon thanks to my readers.

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