In this together

Scientists estimate there are approximately one billion snowflakes in a cubic foot of snow. And within that cubic foot, no two snowflakes are alike. Each one shaped by its unique journey. I am not sure how much snow is in this photo, but there are certainly millions and millions of unique snowflakes right here in this small portion of my front yard.

This world contains over seven billion unique people, no two exactly alike. Each person shaped by his or her unique journey. If you are reading this today, you are one of those seven billion uniquely special human beings. Your life has shaped who you are to this point.

But let's be honest, it has not always been a smooth journey to this point. For some of us, the trip has been rougher than others.
Your edges might be a little sharper because of pain, loss, or abuse.
Your shell might be a little tougher due to how others have treated you.
Your inside might be a little more tender from your life experiences.

But the opposite could also be true...
Your life might look better than others because of the love and support you've received.
Your situation might be more comfortable due to the opportunities you've had.
Your inside might have more confidence and strength from years of positive experiences.

Whether you're in the first category or the second, or - like most of us - somewhere in between, here are a few things to never forget...

We are all human beings created in the image of our Creator. I am not here to debate creation versus evolution or whether there is a God. My point is to share why I believe every single human being on this planet has intrinsic value. Man or woman. Black or white. Christian or Muslim. Straight or gay. I believe every single one of us was formed by God, and deserves the same love and respect from our fellow human beings.

We all need to belong. We are formed in the image of a God who is community. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one, but also three. I am not here to debate the Trinity theologically. My point is we are created for community because we were birthed out of community. I believe that every single human being needs a community and is created for belonging.

We are in this together. If we are all deserve love and respect and were created for community, then we need to work towards acting like it. We need to stop building walls, calling names, dividing, and attacking. Our neighbor is not only the person next door whose skin is the same color, goes to the same church, has a family that looks like ours, and lives in the same socio-economic class as us. Our neighbor is also the person who has a different view on abortion, same-sex marriage, war, tax policy, immigration, and a litany of other issues. Our neighbor is that person across the globe who we want to launch missiles at because we view them as our enemy or even ignore because we don't want to deal with their starvation and other struggles.

This doesn't mean we can't disagree and discuss policies, opinions, and options. Or that we each have to solve all of the world's problems. But, we need to start with this critical foundation before we enter that dialogue: We are all human beings. We all need to belong. We are in this together.

When a billion different snowflakes come together, they can create something beautiful. If we can start from a point of common humanity, maybe we can all learn to treat each other more humanely, and move this planet towards the beauty that has been God's dream for us the whole time.