AS many of you will know I am an avid fan of BBC Radio 4. I have been for many years because I never cease to be informed, challenged and even inspired by the programmes I listen to. Although I have to admit that the daily diet of news can prove more than a little depressing at times.

‘The Moral Maze’ is a particular favourite. This lively discussion programme, chaired by Michael Buerk, is always topical, informative and highly stimulating. One recent edition focused on the papal encyclical ‘Magnifica Humanitas’ warned that artificial intelligence threatens the dignity of the human person. I found it particularly intriguing and got me thinking again about the uniqueness of human beings. Should we see ourselves as just another life form in a world in which there seem to be at least 8.7 million species or are we completely different to them all?

I know I would never be asked to take part in such a high-brow discussion as The Moral Maze but I wondered what I would have said if I had been invited on to the panel, and I came to the conclusion that I would have to ‘go back to basics’ and offer a traditional Christian understanding of what it means to be human.

I would begin by pointing out that the Bible tells us that of all the life forms to be found on earth, only human beings have been created in the image of God. If true, that would certainly make us unique. It would suggest then that we are no more than ‘an enormously intelligent and intellectually agile animal ‘(Henry Miller).

We have been created to know that there is a God, but even more importantly that we can ‘know’ Him personally. In fact, it’s worth noting that the Hebrew word ‘know’ often describes the closest, most profound of relational bonds, such as the intimacy shared between a husband a wife. It explains why God’s divine Son could become a human being and further underlines our uniqueness as well as our potential. After all, Jesus became a human being - not a polar bear or a chimpanzee - so that we could become just like Him.

We can and should emphasise one thing that makes unique too: we are morally accountable and will have to give an account for the way in which we have lived. That will mean that we are willing to acknowledging that the world belongs to Him and not to us, that we owe everything to His creative generosity and that we have been given the responsibility of caring for it.

Above all though, as a Christian, I believe it means acknowledging the Lordship of Jesus and our responsibility to care for other human beings. Yes, we are to love God with all our hearts, minds and strength but we are love ‘our neighbour’ too, irrespective of social, cultural and religious boundaries.