A friend who ministers in Central Asia told about the Gypsies in his community. They are despised by all people groups, but are feared due to their perceived ability to put curses upon people who refuse to give money, food or other help to them.

The Gypsies, like many people are viewed as non-people. They are viewed as being of so little consequence that that they are not to be cared for, conversed with or even noticed. The value of these lives is viewed as minuscule, or even a negative draw upon the value and vigour of the lives surrounding the Gypsy. Their lives have a human market valuation of zero, or even worse.

But this human ‘market valuation’ is not restricted to the Gypsies. It is evident today in Syria and Iraq under the tyranny of the so-called ‘Islamic State’, where women — Christian or Muslim— are treated as mere disposables. This ‘State’ values women as un-human and useful only for sexual exploitation, commercial trade, or as objects of torture and terror to broadcast to the world.

Consider situations where people are unnoticed or despised. Consider situations where people are no longer people.

This video illustrated to me a tragic situation where a young man was no longer treated as a person, but as some unruly animal–as wild game.

We must be vigilant or else we will cheapen our lives and the lives around us. There can be no cheapening when every person has a soul. Every person is created in the image of God.