Daily Reading. Genesis 1.27-2.25

Last week I read a horrible article in the news about a twelve day old baby who was snatched from it’s mother’s arms in India. The monkey bit the baby multiple times, carried it to the roof and dropped him. The boy died of his injuries at the hospital. I shared this article with my family and explained to them that, as horrific as this story was, the monkey did not know he did anything wrong, because you can’t evolve morality; an objective ought.

I don’t presume to know all the connections which lead up to an individual who enters a bar, school, or church and begins shooting random people. But I do know that ideas matter. When you teach a child they were made in the image of a monkey; a consistent thinker draws back to his heritage and wonders what is inherently wrong with a mass killing of people. Just because our society might call it evil, illegal, or just frown upon it, who are they to say what one ought to do? If our forefathers killed to show dominion, and we are crafted in their image, then why not?

The Bible teaches rather that you and I are made in the image of God. We reflect him in our living, our loving, and our learning. This truth gives us value, purpose, and a standard for our morality. We ought not kill innocent people because all humans (even those in the womb) bear the image of God. We are made to reflect him in all we do and all we say.

On a side note, as I read this portion of Scripture to my children last night, I asked the question: “why did God rest on the 7th day?” My little girl said she thought God was probably tired. My son thought it was because God wanted to take time to enjoy the things he had created. I loved his answer!