2/17/52

Scripture: Genesis 1: 24-31a

Text: Genesis 1: 27; "So God created man in his own image."

I have previously raised the suggestion that it is helpful to read some portions of the Bible as one would read poetry. Indeed some portions of the Bible are poetry. And the way to find the deepest truth in understanding life’s purposes is not to search such portions with the analytical eye of the scientist or the factual eye of the historian, but with the eye of the poetic discerner.

One of the portions to be read in such a light is the creation story in the book of Genesis. It takes a poetic, and deeply spiritual, insight to find the rewarding meaning of such a reference as this: "God created man in his own image."

Suppose one were, however, to read that book with the scientific eye of the anthropologist -- and let us say with the effort to understand what God is like. If God created man in his own likeness, then God might be a Being with a black skin; or a brown skin; or a pink skin. God might be six feet six inches tall; or 4 feet 6 inches tall. He might have high cheek bones; or long arm bones; dark, almond-like eyes; or blue or gray eyes. But since all men are creatures of God’s design, if they be in his image, God must be a composite of all the people of the earth -- tall and short, hairy and smooth, thin-lipped and thick-lipped, fair-skinned or darker skinned! You see, such a reading would get one into preposterous difficulty! How could one Being, even God, be all of those things? Or how could all of these things emerge from only one divine image or likeness?

So I believe that it is far more profitable to read the statement: "God created man in his own image" with the eyes of the poet, the seer. For in this frame of mind it is possible to understand that it is the spirit of man, his soul, that is in the likeness of the Creator. This human likeness may be housed in a body of large bone structure or small; of any known skin pigmentation; of either sex; of any social class. And despite the characteristics of flesh, nerve structure, native ability and environmental opportunity that differentiate people so that no two are ever the same, yet there is an essential equality of people before God that endows every person with his own individual worth and dignity. Every other person ought to respect that person’s worth. And that person should respect the dignity of each other person. "God created mankind in his own image!"

I wonder if we realize how much of the character of our nation is imbedded in the understanding that all people have such an essential brotherhood in God our creator.

More than 300 years ago, people left an older world and came to this new land to find opportunity to be free individuals as in the sight of God alone. They had to work out the freedom that they sought. They undertook, very severe social and physical disciplines in their search for liberty of their spirits. Their experiments involved organization not unlike that to which they had been used. Many of them were very slow to accord the natives of this land the same dignity of spirit which they sought for themselves. And the old-world custom of legal servitude was brought to these shores and for a long time thrived. It took more than a hundred fifty years of experiment, of compromise and advance before the peoples of this new land felt the strength that should enable them to defy old-world control and throw off those political shackles which limited their freedom.

But after a century and a half of growth as a group of colonies, there was a revolution of force, rooted in the revolution of conviction, which made our country a nation of free and independent people -- at least free and independent Caucasian folk. (The aborigines were being crowded westward and the Africans were still held in servitude.)

But the principle of brotherhood in freedom was growing mightily. The first president of the United States, the man who had commanded the military forces that accomplished political liberation, wrote a prayer beseeching Almighty God to keep the United States in His holy protection; and that the hearts of the citizens should be inclined to obedience in government and to brotherly love and affection for one another; that the people should be disposed to do justice, to love mercy, and to humbly emulate the Divine qualities of charity and pacific temper of mind.

Four score and seven years later another president, rough hewn but of solid spiritual timber, made the historic decisions that held the union together and put an end to legal servitude. On the Sunday which falls of the calendar on the birthday of the first president of our nation and soon after the birthday of the Great Emancipator it is not amiss to remember a bit of the history of the time which found our union saved by a gigantic struggle.

During the war, a national cemetery was to be dedicated on an important battlefield of that war, and the president was there to take part in the formalities. He sat through what everybody thought was the main address of the day and which took two hours to deliver. Despite the length of the previous oration, the people cheered the president when he arose and stepped forward.

He adjusted his glasses slowly and deliberately, took from his pocket a piece of paper, unfolded it, and began to read in a high-pitched voice -- each word spoken distinctly: "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." There it was -- that conviction of the worth of all men created in the spiritual image of the Almighty.

It is said that a photographer, directly in front of the speaker, tried, during the entire brief time he spoke, to get a picture of the president. And when Mr. Lincoln finished abruptly, the photographer snatched desperately at his camera -- but too late. Those in the crowd around the photographer, watching him instead of the president, broke into laughter at his obvious dismay in failing to obtain his picture.

The president had spoken ten sentences, 268 words.

Thirty five miles away, in Harrisburg, one newspaper reported Lincoln’s Gettysburg address in these words of impatience and scorn: "We pass over the silly remarks of the President; for the credit of the nation, we are willing that the veil of oblivion shall be dropped over them and that they shall no more be repeated or thought of."

The way of liberty has never been smooth, and greatness cannot be thin-skinned. Lincoln was prepared to take all manner of abuse because he believed in a cause greater than himself. Though it is still debated whether or not he ever joined a church, he was a Christian gentleman in the noble sense of the term.

More than that, he maintained that there were gentlemen who supported opinions contrary to his own. He accorded a genuine respect to men like Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis. And it was a matter of earnest regret that they must serve on opposite sides of an issue that would either split this nation into unhealing factions or unite it into a nation of character. We believe the events of history proved his ideas, and endorse his appreciation of both his friends and his honorable foes.

This week is known, nationally, as Brotherhood week. The observance of this idea is not intended to suggest that all people must be alike, or even come to agreement on all issues involving important differences of belief and opinion. It is intended as a reminder of the spiritual fact that, despite all our wide differences of many sorts, people are still brothers.

It becomes us who adhere to the Christian religion to practice the Golden Rule not only in the matter of deeds -- "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you" -- but also in the matter of attitudes -- "How does it feel to be my brother? Do I feel toward him as I would have him feel toward me?"

If he has a skin and facial features different in color from mine does he know that these make no difference to me in his right to work and worship by my side? We’ve cultivated a long and stubborn feeling of difference over race that is essentially artificial. Our school books have referred to races of people as black, white, red, yellow or brown. Actually very few so-called whites are very white. Very few blacks in this country are very black. The tint of skin ranges among the Negro folk, for example, from creamy tan to chocolate brown.

One of my childhood impressions of Orientals as people of a "yellow" race was soundly disabused when I actually saw, met, and mingled with oriental folk, and found their faces to appear quite light or quite dark according to the individual, but almost never any shade that looked "yellow."

And as for the race to which I belong, as do most of you, it is more notable for lack of color in the skin than for any particular pigment. It was Stanley Jones, I think, who, returning after extended service among the folk of many shades of color in India, said to an American audience: "I am glad to speak to you colorless people!"

Well, after all, color of skin and shape of bone growth is something about which we can do very little. For the duration of our lives, each of us will live with his or her own skin.

But at the heart of all that we do today is the question how we get along with people and how may they get along with us. One way to get along is to shut ourselves off from most contact with people who differ from us. Perhaps that is necessary if we are, frankly, inadequate for the meeting of folk on any terms but our own. But it is not adequate to the needs of people in our time. We need not expect always to deal with differing folk on their terms either. But among people created in God’s spiritual image there must be ways of getting along which we might call "God’s terms" which we might all seek to discern and receive.

There are other differences among folk of our land, just as vital as the differences of race. We are notably diverse in the matter of religious preference and conviction. And I am one of those who think that there must be a wide latitude of possible choice in religious expression. Some of us are particularly happy in the Congregational Christian tradition and expression. Others are happy in the Moravian, Methodist, Baptist, Evangelical, Lutheran, Episcopalian or Presbyterian churches. Great numbers of people adhere with singleness of purpose to the Roman Catholic discipline; some to the Greek Catholic; many to the Hebrew faith; some to other religious diversities.

We need expect to come to no dead level of uniformity in religion unless clearly led by the spirit of God alone. But we do need to respect the souls of each other. If we be Christian, we do well to regard differing Christians and non-Christians with brotherly regard. We may adhere loyally to the merits of our own mode of worship, and expression of belief. Congregationalists ought to be intelligent, devoted, loyal Congregational Christian folk. And Episcopalians should be good Episcopalians and Lutherans good Lutherans. And we ought all to be good neighbors of one another, brothers in spirit, though we have no desire to be identical twins.

People should be judged according to the merits of their own lives without either the advantage, or disadvantage, of group labels. A bum is a bum of any color or creed. A statesman is a statesman whatever be his linguistic tongue. An honest man is an honest man be he Jew or Christian, church member or member of no church. I am not saying that one is as good as another. I believe in an exacting standard of Christian goodness. But I do say we are brothers.

A few years ago I walked down a street under the elevated tracks on the west side of Chicago’s loop. It was mid day between 12 and 1 o’clock. But in broad daylight I was accosted by a man who said he wanted help. I didn’t think he needed the kind of help he was asking for so I refused. He smiled, but he threatened me by saying, "You ain’t got no cop with you. An’ I ain’t no bum. I just want you to help me." It happened that he was a Negro. But he was a "pan handler" by any standard. About that time I had met a college student of the same race, a senior in the college where my sons and daughter have attended. He was eager, courteous, intelligent, capable, and know among his fellow students as a really sweet spirited young fellow. I was glad to meet him and to know that people of his spirit are to be known on that campus.

A pan handler of my own race came to my door. He wanted help -- specifically a little money for a meal. His face wore an ingratiating smile and his breath reeked with stale alcohol. I refused him just as I refused the fellow on the Chicago street. During the same week, I met a woman who is spending her life in Christian service on a college campus, who is an inspiration to students there because she believes in them. One is proud to know her, because she is proud to know them. She is a splendid soul. The fellow of the same race who came to my door was not worth one’s acquaintance unless or until he might take a responsible place somewhere in human society.

Yet we are all brothers! And certainly the pan handlers needed help of the kind that takes more time and patience than the dime or the dollar of a moment.

We are conscious of being folk of varying political opinions and convictions -- opinions often held in sincerity and with warm fervor. And a citizen of this land should be able to advocate his political preference with enthusiasm without losing the neighborly respect of those who differ from him. We see some instances of acid reference to others because of political affiliation. We also see some remarkable evidence of respect for the person of each other on the part of those who differ sharply on many issues. A mild application of what I mean could be illustrated in the thoughtful review of the names of those who have signed the Brotherhood Week advertisements from time to time in the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune. Look it over with a view of trying to understand how many different religious preferences, political alignments, commercial interests, industrial positions and economic categories may be represented in the lives of the individuals who got together on that one significant effort. The "ad" does not mean that those signers got together in one unified whole. It does mean that their differences come under the heading of brotherhood and respect, each for the other, and all for the welfare of our community and nation.

When our national anthem is played the people who stand at attention are shop men, housewives, school children, business executives, waitresses, shoe shiners, soldiers, clergymen, beauty shop operators, and hosts of others -- regardless of creed, color, size, sex, occupation, language, educational attainment or bank account.

And when we pledge allegiance to the flag of the nation it is a pledge of loyalty to the Republic; to a nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all -- for each one.

And I think the requirements of this spirit extend beyond the borders of our own nation -- so favored in some respects and so immature in others -- to the peoples of the whole world.

"God created man in his own image." "He hath made of one blood all nations for to dwell on the face of the earth." [Acts 17: 26].

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Dates and places delivered:

Wisconsin Rapids, February 17, 1952

Wisconsin Rapids, February 22, 1959