(Deutsche Version)

What does it mean to be created after the image of God? We may think of a photo copy machine that creates a copy of the original document as exact as possible, in order to testify of the authority of the original document. However, the biblical word tselem used in this context (Genesis 1:26) rather speaks of a statue: it was customary that a king of these times would place statues in his entire empire. These statues make publicly visible who is reigning in this place. So the emphasis here is not that every image looks the same, but to which king they point at.

This king gave a commission to all humanity to rule the earth in his stead, in his likeness. For that, he created every man and every woman with different giftings and needs. And because we have these diverse strengths and weaknesses, we need each other – it’s only together that we can fulfil his commission.

So this commission was a community project all along – we need diversity in unity. Unity might feel like a threat: How many conflicts simply arise because we are different! Yet, our diversity and our need for one another is God’s perfect design. It is the arena in which our relationships are refined and tested in the crucible of everyday life. If you’ve ever tried to work closely with people who are very different from you (maybe even your spouse), you already know how hard this is. Accepting each other unconditionally, teaming up for something bigger than ourselves – it sounds great until it isn’t.

How hard it is to stay united even when we want to! That’s not a coincidence. This is God’s project, and it makes sense that we’d need him to pull it off. Our authority is delegated – which means our impact in this world is only as real as our dependence on him. That’s the kind of community Youth With A Mission wants to be: diverse people, united by one king, making his reign visible on earth.