Arielle

“If we are to seek whatever is honorable, it must include seeking the honor that is inherent in God's image bearers. We must recognize their intrinsic dignity and hold it in high esteem. There is no wiggle room on this. No matter how different a person may be from us, no matter what political, social, or moral views they may hold, no matter how strongly and vehemently we disagree with them, no matter their crimes, we must not dishonor the image of God in them. To joke about their death or destruction, to celebrate their pain and loss, to openly mock and belittle their struggles is to blaspheme the God in whose image they are created.

This is no easy thing---especially when someone is not living honorably themselves, when they are not living in a way that is consistent with their identity as an image bearer. Somehow their hatred, pride, and deceit are able to draw hatred, pride, and deceit from us. That's why in his first epistle, Peter makes a point to call slaves to honor unkind masters, wives to honor unbelieving husbands, and all to honor the emperor---an emperor who at that very moment was seeking their lives. In calling us to honor those who have, in all human logic, forfeited the right to honor, we testify to a greater reality: whether or not a person is living within the dignity of their identity as an image bearer does not change the fact that God has bestowed dignity on them.

In honoring them, we honor God.”
― Hannah Anderson, All That's Good: Recovering the Lost Art of Discernment

“we establish trust with people by acknowledging their good intentions. Few people think that they are on the wrong side of history. Everyone sees themselves as crusading for the greater good. We must try to see their idea from their perspective. What are they valuing? What are they trying to accomplish? What is their ultimate goal?”
― Hillary Morgan Ferrer, Mama Bear Apologetics: Empowering Your Kids to Challenge Cultural Lies

“What we choose to speak about and how we speak about it are part of the message we send to each other and the larger culture we create.”
― Hannah Anderson, All That's Good: Recovering the Lost Art of Discernment

“There is a fundamental difference between teaching our kids to base their spiritual foundation on the experience of Jesus and basing it on Jesus.”
― Hillary Morgan Ferrer, Mama Bear Apologetics: Empowering Your Kids to Challenge Cultural Lies