Hunting an Image of God

So God created mankind in his own image,    
in the image of God he created them;    
male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:27, NIV 2011

I write this 30 minutes after the capture of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the alleged Boston Marathon Bomber.  On Twitter, the hashtag #manhunt is associated with the pursuit of this man.  I have unfortunately seen many responses to this situation that wish for the immediate death of this man.  It is here where Christians, those who wish to emulate Jesus and embody the Kingdom of God, must ask themselves — what does it mean to hunt down someone made in the image of God?  How do Christians respond to those who wish death upon this man?

We can debate all day long about justice/the justice system in America and what it means to “bring someone to justice”, but what of the language to hunt someone down, as if they were less than human?  It is here that we become no better than perpetrators of violent acts — their disregard for life spawns within us the drive to disregard their life.  Our dehumanizing is filtered through the word and lens of “justice”, but take away that idea and you have the same underlying contempt for someone’s life.  “Justified” violence is still violence.

And what of Jesus?  Can we imagine the Prince of Peace — the one who died at the hands of and for his enemies — giving approval to this ethic of dehumanizing those whom he died for?  If we truly understand the death of Jesus as the redemptive death for humanity and all of creation, then we see that anything that works against redemption and works towards dehumanizing is anti-Christian.  Yes, may our prayers go to all the victims and those involved.  Yes, the justice system has its place.  But let us not forget the words of Christ that haunt and challenge us during times such as this:

You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.”  But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.  (Matthew 5:43-48, NIV 2011).