Dignity

Genuine dignity relates to humanity in the spiritual perception.  It is a gift of God related to his creative gesture in the context of mankind.  We are informed that when he made us he included his image in us.  That demands dignity.  We are also informed that he is a spirit so does not have a physical body (visible image) as we do.  (The incarnation of Jesus was an adjustment for mankind as a measure to bridge the natural to the supernatural, but that is another theme.  We in nature could not incorporate spiritual truth without some godly incarnation.)  In nature we presume that an image may be seen, and some knowledge taken from our sense at work.  We learn of the dignity of God as God, so the devout worship him, in humility pray to him, in knowledge seek his word for understanding, and in activity seek to be obedient to that word. In this the individual strives to be like Jesus living a spiritual life while also living a natural life.  In this is found a culture that transcends wholly humanistic cultures.  This can be seen in the parallels found in Christians from many cultures, even those with disparate differences, languages, governments, with all that goes into our various human identities.  As worship is offered to God by those with faith in him, so dignity is offered to mankind from those who believe that the image of God is an ongoing factor in the nature of mankind.  That image was installed at some point and we have no information that it was ever taken away, even if it is shrouded in kuman violations.  Insightful Christians do what they can to preserve the image meaning.  One way is to value and practice human dignity.  We may lose respect, but even when deeply veiled, perhaps denied, we never lose the dignity of that created by God.  We are dignified.

Modesty is a factor.  We know something of what modesty is.  We feel it when it is present.  Modesty not only relates to the valued privacy of persons, helping them to know self, reflecting on the privacy of God.  Violation of modesty leads to numerous problems including separation from the nearness of God, to rape, perhaps to death.  Its violation makes air-heads of us, nymphs, anti-intellectuals, exhibitory as living mannequins, and the like.  Failure in modesty is often the prelude to carnal behavior – objectionable.

Self-control is a factor.  The treatment of others reveals something of our understanding of dignity.  Anger, hatred, accusation, and a host of other issues face us in our life course.  Even the obvious evil person is to be treated with dignity by the police.  The news is often taken with the harshness of a law officer dealing with a vicious criminal.  The criminal becomes something of a genuine person in that he, the recalcitrant, has been treated with the same conduct and mien with which a good guy is treated.

Relationship is a factor.  When Moses noted that we honor our parents, he was speaking to dignity, the human response to the source of our lives.  The commandment did not relate to the worthiness of the parents, but to the fact that the principle of life was passed to us through them, and that requiring some investment on their part.  Such dignity was noted for elders.  Hopefully everyone will gain the place of an elder.  The Scripture makes clear that dignity is human recognition of the spiritual meaning of mankind.

Context is a factor.  Some of us have been in groups where name-calling breaks out, sometimes to serious consequences in stalling action for the common good, perhaps in brawling, or some termination so offensive that the injured party will kill family members, colleagues – or strangers.  Often the angry person takes his own life.  The news carries such stories – daily.  They often include ugly violations of dignity. Even dead bodies are to be treated with dignity.  Not to do so is perceived as desecration.

Communication is a factor.  Language and attitude provide a large context for evaluating dignity.  The four-letter (swear) words were once taboo in daily experience, especially when the ladies were present.  They now appear in print, in public conversation, and have become so common that even some persons believed to be devout have fallen into the usage.  Communication studies show they are unworthy of life purpose.  They violate persons of rightful dignity.  There is a better way – upward.