Journey to Dignity-IV : Vulnerability & Dignity
IV in a series of IV on How Dignity Discovered Me
Keep reaching across the table and feed each other. — Yolanda King
The beginning of our story — I mean the very beginning — is beautiful. It is hopeful and lovely and amazing. The same One Who created the whole universe had a thought one day. An idea of a very special creation with endless combinations of uniqueness that would reflect the divine in an earthly way. Each version of this type of creation would be purposeful in their time and space. Each version would hold intrinsic value and beauty, worth and ability, simply because they would be a manifested thought of The Creator.
That is you, my friend.
And it’s me too. It’s every one of us. I don’t think our minds can fathom how loved we are by The Creator, and that love follows us. Even when we don’t honor our own dignity or the dignity in others. Even when we refuse to accept the Imago Dei — Image of God — that we carry. There are 1000 reasons why we have marred or been marred, and why we marred each other with our words, our actions, our beliefs, and our fears. The dignity is still there — we are still Image Bearers. It may been hidden, buried even, but it is there. The key to unearthing it is vulnerability. It’s authenticity. As you become honest about your our emotions, pains, questions, and dreams, that divine uniqueness becomes more and more visible. To venture this road takes faith.
I didn’t have the “word” for dignity at first. The concept of dignity for me came from engaging with vulnerability on my own journey in the context of faith, community, and emotional education(I read a lot of books, went to a lot of therapy, etc.). I learned to trust the process of opening up to those around me. I shared my “deepest darkest secret” for the first time because it was eating me up on the inside — and I wasn’t disowned by the listeners(who had given me, over time, every reason to trust them that deeply). I started standing up for myself and using my voice — and I was heard. I did some really scary things regarding relationships and boundaries — and I gained deeper connection. When I think about my “aha” moment around dignity I think about Dr. Brene Brown. I can’t pinpoint a date or any specifics, but I know her work pushed that truth right up to the surface for me. Suddenly, the claim God makes that we are a “good” creation(Genesis 1:27,31) was weighty and freeing. The most important thing about us became that God has chosen to be tied to us by making us Image Bearers. It made me want to know more about God in the context of this connection. It challenged the way I engaged with myself and, especially, others. Little by little, I grew more hungry to be a person who could be merciful to the “ungrateful and evil”(Luke 6:35 — not an easy task. I need all of God’s help to do this!). I believe 100% that God, even towards the atheist, is intentionally kind and merciful because of the great love we are all created with and from.
So what’s the point? It’s this: Come to the table. I promise there is soul food being served that you’ll love. Try and see what it feels like to let your true self peek out from behind the masks in the midst of community. Show up and let someone you trust see your broken pieces, your goofy ways, and what actually brings you joy. Seek connection with God and know you are engaging with The Being Who created you, knows you, and loves you. Take a chance to see others — even your enemy — through the eyes of dignity, as an Image Bearer FIRST. This is the space where we truly live, where we experience community, and where we honor our dignity, in turn honoring others’. The table is set. Can’t wait for you to come by.
