In God's Image

I was surfing through some blogs the other day when I found a post on the blog Gifted for Leadership: A Community of Christian Leadership called In the Face of Tragedy. Read this quote:

If I hurt this much in the face of such distant pain…how much more the heart of God who knows by name every one of those dead. I grieve with the Holy Spirit—moved to share in the sufferings and passions of Christ. This is why he came. God loves the world so much.

I wonder if this is part of the explanation of God's role in suffering. We are hurt by the pain of others because of God's presence in our lives. We suffer with them because God suffers with them. Others share our pain because of God.

I know it sounds simplistic, but I wonder if we take empathy and sympathy for granted because we don't know how to live any other way, but could those characteristics be part of what makes us made in the image of God?

God works through us, his people, his Church. We are God’s answer to a hurting world—we must point people to Christ’s love, healing, redemption.