Who Are Our Fellow Image-Bearers?

Genesis 1:27 (English Standard Version) shares, “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” This Scripture verse reveals that by the grace of God, His image—imago Dei—is inside every human being. Still, humankind often overlooks this divine gift, looking at one another in judgment, treating others unequally, and in less-than-loving ways. Seeing the imago Dei in those different from us requires a mental reset. As Frame writes, “To accept God’s grace is first to recognize ourselves as desperately weak, unable to do anything for ourselves. The world’s neglect of the disabled comes from its desire to appear strong without the uncomfortable reminders of its need. But those who come to Christ find in the disabled a picture of their own weakness.”[1] These words beg the question, “Who are our fellow image-bearers?”

Shifting Our Perspective

Like many of the world’s problems, the inability to accept people different from us is neither a new problem nor is finding its resolution. It simply calls for a shift in our perspective. As Paul wrote to the Romans in 57 CE, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom 12:2).

By embracing everyone as fellow image-bearers, including those with intellectual disabilities and mental health issues, we will see more commonalities and fewer differences. This renewed perspective begins the mental and spiritual reset the world needs. Our God is all-inclusive, and we are all part of the whole, connected by God’s image within. As Paul continues his letter to the Romans, he addresses the gifts of grace, writing,

"For by the grace given to me, I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body, we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness"(Rom 12:3-8).

Diversity

Diversity is part of God’s plan. His desire for diversity is evident in all of Creation. Scientists have estimated that around 8.7 million species of plants and animals exist.[2] Astonishingly, “there are about 200 different types of cells in your body” alone.[3] Thus, it is no surprise that people come in various colors, shapes, and sizes. Frame notes, “Every Christian differs from every other Christian. We have different personalities, different abilities and disabilities, different histories, and experiences. In the body of Christ, each of us plays a unique role with distinctive callings, gifts, and opportunities.”[4] Thus, everyone has a part to play in God’s world, and no one is more important or deserving than the next. Loving these different abilities and disabilities in each other is imperative as we honor our fellow image-bearers.

This magnificent blend of diverse people makes the world a most exciting place to navigate unless you are part of a marginalized group. Too often, people do not recognize the image of God in the “Other.” They view the spiritual needs of those with intellectual disabilities and mental health issues differently from their own. Thus, how one interprets the imago Dei influences this perspective. Some people mistakenly believe that because God is perfect, people closest to perfection physically and mentally best represent His image. In their judgment of others, they think people with flaws cannot possibly reflect the image of God. Again, Paul captures humanity in its true light, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). Moreover, Maliszewska writes, “Human perfection or excellence does not result from or is not conditioned by our faculties or skills, but by entering voluntarily the relationship of love. By loving, the human being becomes like God, who calls the human being to a communion with him/herself and other human beings, because he/she is him/herself a communion.”[5] This perspective is beautifully captured in 1 John 4:16, “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in Him.”

The Power of Love

Having been the recipient of their love, this author can say that adults with intellectual disabilities and mental health issues have an enormous capacity for love. They love their friends and family. They love their caregivers and ministers. They love community and fellowship. They love being in love. Love is essential to their

lives.

In a 2016 study, Mattila, Määttä, and Uusiautti conclude, "According to the findings of this study, the young adults with ID [intellectual disabilities] understand love very concretely. One of the most important findings was how positively they all perceived love and its importance in their lives. Love was considered important and valuable to themselves and to people in general as it was recognized as a crucial element of well-being."[6]

As intended, love is “a crucial element of well-being.”[7] One only needs to do the math. If God is love, and love is essential for well-being, then the more one shows love to others, the more one emanates the image of God. People with intellectual disabilities and mental health issues show love to others unashamedly and without reservation. “Seeing” their love for others in a world that has not always been so kind to them is remarkable. They are indeed God’s image-bearers and should be seen and treated as such.

“I See You”

“Sawubona” is a standard greeting of the Zulu tribe. It means, “I see you, you are important to me, and I value you,” symbolizing how vital it is to give our attention to one another.[8]

Valeria Sabater explains, “It exists to remind us to understand others without prejudice and to leave grudges behind. The term reminds us to be aware of other people’s needs and to give importance to individuals within a group. It also helps us think about integrating ourselves into our communities and valuing them.”[9] Many people with intellectual disabilities and mental health issues feel invisible, believing no one sees them. Not always given the attention they deserve, feelings of isolation from the community can grow and fester. On the other hand, to be genuinely greeted, to have someone make eye contact and smile as if to say, “I see you,” can make all the difference, lifting someone from loneliness to feel seen and heard—to be equally valued and appreciated by others.

Scripture reflects a “sawubona” mindset. First Peter 5:14 instructs, “Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.” Romans 15:1-2 encourages, “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.” Ephesians 4:2 shares, “With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,” and 1 Peter 4:8 urges us, “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”

As Christians, we should, when looking at all people, including those with cognitive disabilities, see the image of God. Frame writes, “The church has a major responsibility, therefore, to be a society that welcomes values, and assists the disabled. Far too often, Christians have been unwilling to take the trouble to understand the needs of the disabled and then to treat them as valued and gifted members of Jesus’ body.”[10] Indeed, Frame is correct. It begins with how we see and accept one another with or without disabilities. Like Jesus, we should be drawn to those most in need, drawn to the “unseen” and bring them into the light where all can see their imago Dei.

This is Us!

So, who are our fellow image-bearers? Family, friends, colleagues, coworkers, and church members? Yes, of course, but we are also divinely connected to people we pass with our shopping cart in the grocery store, those we pass walking on the street, and folks driving (and honking) beside us at rush hour. We are not only sister and brother with people closest to us, but also with those we have never met—people who are not like us but also exactly like us—bearing the same image of God in their hearts: people suffering from hunger and poverty, the homeless, returning veterans struggling with moral injury and PTSD, formerly incarcerated individuals looking for a fresh start in life, those struggling with substance misuse, at-risk youth searching for a place to call home, the frail elderly alone and frightened, and those with intellectual disabilities and mental health issues. We are not perfect people but are brothers and sisters connected through God’s image deep inside us. Accepting this reality can begin a needed mental reset for embracing those we often ignore or have little to do with in our daily lives.

Because of the imago Dei we share, we can tap into God’s love and “see” each other with new eyes, especially those with disabilities. Maliszewska says it best. “The divine image, however, is hardly to be found in the image of ‘perfection’ propagated by the mass media. Imago Dei is present in every human being regardless of the disabilities and limitations of their mind or body, and sometimes, indeed, revealed through those very limitations or disabilities.”[11] This is us!

Mary Marshall Ministry invites you to come and experience the joy of sharing your faith with adults with intellectual disabilities and mental health issues. Visit or call us today. Learn how to become a part of your community’s ministry serving Jesus’ “least of these.”

____________________ [1] John M. Frame, The Doctrine of the Christian Life (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2008), 682, Kindle.

[2] National Geographic, “Biodiversity,” Resource Library, accessed November 16, 2022, https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/biodiversity. [3] Jameson Gardner, “How Many Types of Cells are in the Human Body?” Ask A Biologist, Arizona State University, accessed November 16, 2022, https://askabiologist.asu.edu/questions/human-cell-types#:~:text=There%20are%20about%20200%20different,being%20replaced%20as%20they%20die. [4] Frame, The Doctrine of Christian Life, 260. [5] Anna Maliszewska, “Imago Dei in People with Profound Intellectual Disabilities,” Theologica Xaveriana 69, no. 188 (2019): 13, https://doi.org/10.11144/javeriana.tx69-188.idppid. [6] Jenni Mattila, Kaarin Määttä, and Satu Uusiautti, “Everyone Needs Love: An Interview Study About Perceptions of Love in People with Intellectual Disability (ID),” International Journal of Adolescence and Youth 22, no. 3 (2016): 302, https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2016.1167749. [7] Ibid. [8] Valeria Sabater, “Sawubona: An African Tribe’s Beautiful Greeting,” updated November 15, 2021, accessed November 16, 2022, https://exploringyourmind.com/sawubona-african-tribe-greeting/. [9] Ibid. [10] Frame, The Doctrine of Christian Life, 266. [11] Maliszewska, “Imago Dei,” 22.