Stripped

If you are stripped of your hands, you can still walk with your feet.

If you are stripped of your ability to walk, you can still speak.

If you are stripped of your ability to speak, you can still think.

If you are stripped even of memory, reason, or awareness of your faith, you can still bear the image of God.

If you are stripped of your appearance, marred beyond human likeness, still, you bear the image of God.

For Christ himself was disfigured beyond that of any human being, marred beyond human likeness (Isaiah 52:14),

Yet Christ was the image of God, the exact representation of his being (Hebrews 1:3, Colossians 1:15).

Bearing the image of God is the true identity of you that no illness, injury, or tragedy can remove.

And it’s the only identity that requires nothing from you.

Being is image-bearing—

God’s unstealable gift.

Over three decades ago, my dad said, “Get a degree. No one can take your degree from you.”

I earned two, but wondered, what if I lose my brain? 

A decade ago, watching my son in gymnastics, I heard myself say to him, “Build your body and get strong. No one can take your strength from you.”

As soon as the words came out of my mouth, my ears detected the lie. What if an accident left him paralyzed?

I corrected myself: “Actually, get Jesus. Your strength can be stolen, but no one can take Jesus from you.”

Although those conversations were had decades ago, I was inspired to write this piece now—

After watching my dad lose his left hand, some cognition, and the ability to work due to a stroke.

After watching my grandmother lose her ability to speak or open her eyes the day before she died.

After watching my friend Hector lose his ability to laugh out loud due to bulbar-onset ALS.¹

After watching my best friend cry when she told me her friends were badly burned and no longer recognized.

When I look upon each person stripped,

I still see the image of God.

1. Pena, H. (2026, May 3). About Our Blog. Nunc Coepi: Hector and Patti’s ALS Adventure. https://nowistartagain.blogspot.com/p/about-our-blog.html Accessed 11 June 2026.

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Photo by Damian Denis on Unsplash