What Kind of World Are We Building for Our Children?

What kind of country, and what kind of world, do we want our children to grow up in?

One shaped by the positive values in the Bible we say we so value:

One where every person is created b’tzelem Elohim (Genesis 1:27), and where Scripture insists that this Image of the Divine is the Image we all bear (Genesis 9:6), valued, undeniably equal, and blessedly unique.

One that hears “You shall not insult the deaf or place a stumbling block before the blind” (Leviticus 19:14), and responds by honoring and embracing people with disabilities.

That lives “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18), where love is love, rooted in dignity and consent, never powered by abuse, harassment, or the exploitation of the underage.

That uplifts women by remembering the strength and leadership of Miriam the prophet who led with song (Exodus 15:20–21), Deborah, a prophet and judge who led a people (Judges 4:4–5), and Esther, who rose “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14), and therefore uplifts women, honors their voices, and refuses degradation, intimidation, or threat.

That takes seriously, “Do not wrong the stranger” (Exodus 22:20) and “Love the stranger” (Deuteronomy 10:19), and celebrates the melting pot of people coming from all over that expand our view of the world, diversify the food we can enjoy, and remind us that most all of us once came from somewhere else.

And especially, a country, a world, where our leaders heed the biblical charge, “You shall not wrong one another” (Leviticus 25:17), and choose words, shape messages, share images, and take actions that elevate, not ones that demean, not ones that dehumanize, not ones that turn sacred human beings into objects of mockery.

May we work to bequeath to our children such a nation and a world that constantly sanctifies the Image of the Divine within us all, teaching them that everyone is holy.