More Than DNA

I have seen more than a few conspiracy theories cropping up lately, one of which claimed that the coronavirus vaccine will alter our DNA to the extent that we will no longer be human. There are entertaining and interesting videos on the subject on YouTube, all containing false information and spreading dangerous ideas. I don’t wish to acknowledge these videos here (you can go look them up if you want, but I refuse to give them press and help them spread false information, but they did inspire me to think about what really makes us human.

Our humanity, our humanness, isn’t defined by our DNA, rather by how we treat others. Showing empathy, compassion, and respect for our neighbor.

When we call names and divide, we dehumanize.

When we exclude groups, we dehumanize.

When we expect others to assimilate, we dehumanize.

When we hold people in cages, we dehumanize.

When we stereotype or otherwise create a group that is “other,” we dehumanize.

We think we are dehumanizing them, but we are really dehumanizing ourselves. Humanity comes with unity and love, not with division and hate. Humanity exists in our souls, not our DNA. When we cut others down and attempt to make them lesser, we are really taking chips away at our own humanity, turning ourselves into something other than human. Something other than a being created in God’s image. God doesn’t think anyone is a thug, a criminal, an illegal, or worthy of anything less than all the love God has to offer. So why do we?

God loves us ALL the same. We are the ones who behave as if God doesn’t.

There is no reason to be afraid that someone is going to inject us with something that will change our DNA and not make us human. Being human has nothing to do with DNA.

It has to do with how we treat each other.