I’m just a preacher, but I’ve learned something from the Bible that our public life keeps forgetting: every human being is made in the image of God. That is not a political statement. That is a theological one. So when any leader, regardless of party, shares images that compare Black people to apes, it is more than offensive. It is spiritually dangerous because those kinds of images have a long, painful history. They were used to justify slavery. They were used to defend segregation. They were used to convince the world that some people were less than human.
Genesis 1:27 settles the issue once and for all: “So God created man in His own image.” Not some people. Not certain races. Not one nation over another, all people. The Bible does not give us permission to treat anyone as less than human. In fact, James 3:9 warns us about the contradiction of praising God while cursing people who are made in God’s likeness. It’s a spiritual inconsistency. You cannot worship the Creator and degrade His creation because words matter, images matter and public speech matters.
Proverbs 18:21 reminds us that death and life are in the power of the tongue. When leaders use demeaning language or share dehumanizing imagery, it doesn’t just stay on a screen. It seeps into the culture. It shapes how people think. It influences how people act. It gives permission to cruelty. Scripture holds leaders to a higher standard. Luke 12:48 says, “To whom much is given, from him much will be required.” Leadership is not just about power. It is about responsibility. It is about character. It is about modeling the kind of speech and behavior that lifts a nation rather than lowers it. In other words partisan loyalty should never supersede moral clarity. The Bible does not ask us which party we belong to. It asks us which spirit we reflect. And the spirit of Christ never dehumanized anyone. He touched lepers. He ate with outcasts. He spoke with Samaritans. He died for sinners.
So I’m just a preacher, but I still believe that a nation cannot rise while its leaders degrade the image of God in its people. If we want healing in our land, we must start with dignity. If we want unity in our country, we must start with respect. If we want God’s blessing, we must honor what God created because you cannot insult the image and expect the favor of the Creator.
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