The Fear Factor

Published October 21, 2025
The Fear Factor

Our worth comes not from what we do, but from the One in whose image we were made. 

REFLECTION

Something you may not know about me is that I love a procedural cop show like Criminal Minds, or CSI, or NCIS, or my favorite “comfort” show- Law & Order: SVU. I love it so much in fact, that my text tone is the dun… dun… of Law & Order fame. Now, you may be thinking, “Hannah, how do shows like that provide any comfort?” The simple answer is that usually by the end of the episode, the perpetrator has been arrested and the case is closed. And often the final scene provides closure, tying up loose ends and reflecting on the case. 

Unfortunately, real life doesn’t always have the neat little bow tying up the story. Real life has people who get away with things, fear of the other, and unconscious prejudices. When we are continually bombarded with scary headlines, our fear of others makes sense.  

But sometimes we let our fears get in the way. We let our fears overcloud the knowledge of the Imago Dei. We learn in Genesis that God created us in His image. That means that we will never look in the eye of someone who doesn’t have God within them. How we treat them is how we treat God.  

So that person who cuts us off in traffic or that person who was talking badly about us, have the image of God in them. Even the person who has committed a crime. They all have the opportunity for forgiveness and reconciliation.  

When we recognize the image of God in one another, we recognize that our fears are unsubstantiated and our kindredness is a blessing. 

DIVING DEEPER IN THE WORD

Luke 5:27-32

1 Peter 3:13-16

Genesis 1:27

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

  • Do you have someone you are mad at or frustrated with right now? What would it look like to remember that they hold the image of God within them? 
  • As you go about your week practice saying "You are the image of God" in your head whenever you meet someone new. See how it makes you feel about that person. 

    • CLOSING PRAYER

    Lord, 
    You have said that each one of us has been created in your image, which can be difficult to understand when we see so much brokenness in our world. Yet when we choose to look within, it is possible to see the miracle that you love someone like me. Teach us to love, Lord, as you have loved us that this world might be a better neighborhood in which to live and share. Teach us to be good neighbors, not just to those who live nearby but to everyone that we meet. Teach us to look at others as if through your eyes, valuing every human as one deemed worthy of a life lived free of exploitation. Use us as your Church to be a voice for the voiceless, a safe haven for the stranger, and a well of justice for the oppressed. With Jesus as our guide and anchor, we pray.
    Amen.