Have we beaten the uniqueness out of you yet?

Erwin McManus said 'somewhere between birth and death, the world beats the unique image of God out of each one of us and it is up to the church to nurture the human spirit (essentially that the church should be the place where people are free to find that unique image of God again). I don't disagree with Erwin on a philosophical sin/salvation level. The other day I had a conversation with a friend who challenged this mindset. This friend suggested that the world is the place that accepts and promotes individuality and creativity and that sadly, the Church is the one place where conformity rules the day. If you are "outside the box" then there isn't much room for you in the Church. I don't disagree with my friend on a philosophical practical/experiential level. I realize that this short blog will in no way provide any type of resolution to this contradiction. I also realize that I (and Erwin and my friend) may only end up creating more questions than we ever answer. That is a good thing. In the mean time, we need to dialogue about what it means to be an individual, what acceptance looks like, and what grace looks like.