Human Dignity, the Image of God, and the Common Good

In July, I wrote about the relationship between civic engagement and the mission of faith-based health and human service organizations. Last month, I reflected on how advocacy is not separate from ministry, but one of the ways we extend our ministry beyond the walls of our organizations and into the public square.

Underlying both of those conversations is an even deeper question: What is it about our faith that compels us to engage in the first place?

For me, the answer begins with one of the most foundational affirmations of our faith: every person is created in the image of God.

This conviction is more than a theological statement. It is the foundation upon which our ministries are built. It is why our organizations care for older adults, support families, provide affordable housing, offer healthcare, accompany people living with disabilities, and work to strengthen communities. We do these things because we believe that every human being possesses inherent worth, dignity, and sacred value.

Yet we live in a time when the dignity of many people is not just questioned but directly attacked. We see it in policies and rhetoric that question the humanity of immigrants and refugees. We see it in the continuing struggles of Indigenous communities seeking justice and recognition. We see it in discrimination directed toward LGBTQIA+ individuals, in barriers faced by people living with disabilities, in the ways poverty, homelessness, and economic inequality can render people invisible, and in the ongoing racism that permeates our society and remains an ever-present stain on our social fabric.

Too often, people are valued according to their identity, their financial productivity, their citizenship status, their economic circumstances, or their perceived usefulness rather than simply by their God-given humanity.

As people of faith, we are called to reject that way of seeing the world. Because if we truly believe that every person bears the image of God, then we must also believe that every person deserves dignity, opportunity, safety, and the chance to flourish.

That is why voting and civic engagement matters to us as communities of faith.

Voting is not simply an exercise in personal preference. It is one of the ways we help shape a society that either affirms or neglects the dignity of our neighbors. As people of faith, we are called to evaluate candidates, policies, and public priorities through the lens of human dignity, compassion, justice, and the common good.

We are called to support policies that recognize the worth of every person. We are called to protect programs that strengthen families, support vulnerable populations, and expand opportunity. We are called to ensure that the resources needed by service organizations remain available so that ministries like ours can continue serving communities across the nation.

This is not about partisanship. Faithful people can and do reach different conclusions about specific policies and candidates. But our faith should shape how we engage these decisions. Our votes should reflect our values, our commitments, and our belief that God’s image is present in every person.

As we move closer to Election Day, I encourage each of us to approach civic engagement as a faithful act of stewardship. Let us vote not out of fear, anger, or division, but out of a deep commitment to human dignity and human flourishing.

Because if we truly believe every person is created in God’s image, then we are called not only to serve our neighbors, but also to help shape a world in which their dignity is recognized, protected, and allowed to thrive.

Next month: Voting with Love. As we prepare for the election, I will reflect on how faithful discernment, respectful engagement, and a commitment to the common good can guide us through this election season and beyond.