What Is Man?

Man feels so alone. He stands in awe of the magnificence and beauty of the cosmos, yet at the same time feels its cold, terrifying vastness. The billions of stars that lay before him stir his imagination beyond its limits. He turns to ponder on his own role among the stars, and is gripped by his feeble insignificance- his own minuscule existence that's snuffed out in an instant without causing a single star to flicker or cause a moment's pause in the universe. He's drawn to this greatness and simultaneously terrified by it. Left to his own imagination, he finds it difficult to conceive of anything warm and approachable that might lie beyond it.

Man looks at the beauty of the Earth, the cycle of life, the diversity and wonder of plants and animals; yet even in this vast beauty he feels his own significance swallowed up by the cold nature around him that hardly blinks an eye at his birth or sheds a tear at his death. Once again, he's drawn to nature’s beauty but terrified by his own insignificance within it. He longs for something more- something intimate. He longs to play a significant part within this beauty around him- to be a part of something bigger than himself. Surrounded by so much but feeling so alone, he doesn't know where he comes from or where he is going. The universe appears cold and terrifying…

But when man looks at another human he sees something remarkably different. He connects with other humans in a way that's far deeper than nature could possibly offer. He notices those previous longings, now welling up within him are finally being satisfied. He feels love, he discovers friendship, he falls in love, he finally knows and feels known by another. His heart tells him that he was made for this all along, for something more, confirming that maybe he is a significant part of this universe after all. A new world has arisen- not a cold bleak one, but a warm one. Inside this warmth he's discovered a doorway that's leading him to something greater...

Indeed, the image of God is not found in the stars, a black hole, a mountain range or even in the animals. It's through humans that we see the greatest glimpse of what God is like.

But at the same time, we see an absurdity in our humanity. Through the same persons that create so much beauty, we also see the greatest glimpses of evil. While nature creates an impersonal terror, the terror caused by humans is a personal one; and perhaps it’s the personal nature of it that makes this terror feel worse than the terror of the cosmos. The one species endowed with such immense glory also has the potential for such hideous evil. And yet, this terrifying evil leaves man questioning and confused all over again.

Nevertheless, however terrifying this evil may be, we see another reality at work in the universe- the power of God’s love to overcome evil. We see a man 2000 years ago who loved with his entire being, in such a beautiful way, that he overcame this evil. Jesus lived to show us what the true image of God looks like, and then He died to restore that image inside us again. In the triune God, we see the perfect image of a Father's love for his son, a husband's love for his wife, and even beyond the natural realms of love we see a God who loved his very enemies. This man, by giving us his life, gave man his humanity back, and showed us what it means to truly live. What is more, this man gave us the power to wield this love, in order that we might serve as a candle burning it's light in a dark universe- in the hope that others may find the source of that light, to find their way back to God, and in so doing find their true selves once again.

Within this restored relationship with God, the cold vast universe suddenly becomes the warm embrace of God. For the God who made the unknown, has made himself personally known to us. If such a relationship exists, whom or what shall we ever fear in this universe again? Furthermore, if the God who created every star in every galaxy went so far as to suffer for us to save us, what star in the universe could ever call us insignificant again? Though we are small and minuscule, he has clothed us with glory and honor above the stars. And though we are wretched and evil, he has clothed us with forgiveness, love, and righteousness so that we might be restored to the joy and glory that we’re made for- in relationship with God forevermore.