Steve Jobs and the Image of God:

Genesis 1:27
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Wednesday, October 5th, Steve Jobs-  founder of Apple, said goodbye to this world and journeyed into the next.  It's always a sobering reminder when someone dies, bringing into awareness the reality that this life is not all there is.

But what was even more devastating to me about the death of this man?  The reaction of our society.

With regard to his death I heard someone say, "It's a shame...now who is going to come up with the next iphone?"

As flippant as that comment was, I think it's a sad reflection of our society and it's priorities.  We have grown so accustomed to seeing people for what they have to offer rather than who they are.  We interact with people around us as though they were a commodity, making sure to tap into the resources they have available.

Brains, beauty, wealth.  Business, advice, help. 

In the interpersonal communications class I teach, there was a section in the text devoted to "networking" and the principle of making sure to see everyone we come into contact with as a potential person with whom we can "network".

Really?  Is this all that our humanity has boiled down to?

The answer is yes.

I don't know about you, but I want to do my best to fight this vicious paradigm.  I want to be a person who fights the temptation to treat the world around me as a commodity, but rather, see each individual as one who bears the image of God- highly loved, highly valued, highly honored- simply because of their Creator.