God Did by John Monday

Genesis 1

²⁷ So God created mankind in his own image,

    in the image of God he created them;

    male and female he created them.

²⁸ God blessed them . . .

And then we messed things up.  This is not a corrective statement or some attempt at imposing guilt; this is just a simple truth. We messed things up.  Not one of us, not some of us, not some worse than others, but all of us, collectively and each of us individually.  Both by nature and by choice, we messed things up.  

Whether you’re an adherent of any of the world religions, a committed atheist, or somewhere on the broad spectrum in between: you don’t have to be terribly introspective to detect at least some truth in this.  Is there anyone who can gaze even for a second into their own heart without seeing something they wish wasn’t there? Something self-centered, something dishonest, something mean or cruel?  Something that would hurt another in order to advance ourselves?  If you can, then welcome to the human race—Really, welcome!

Now that we’ve welcomed each other, let’s set our judgment aside and look at another reality: we were all made in the image of God.  Not some of us—ALL of us. Again, you don’t need to be a God-follower to see some truth here either.  If you turn off the news and try just a little, can’t you see some good in people?  In yourself?  Can you see kindness? Sacrifice? Nobility?  Welcome to the image of God!

Can we put these things together and see that we are all broken reflections of the image of God.  Can we look at others and understand that the broken image of God is present in them just as it is in us? That if we let the broken image of God that’s in us shine, God can teach us something of himself through the person in front of us?  Can we refuse to look at the brokenness and start looking at the God image, at the good? 

Can we accept people as they are? Can we refuse to judge the brokenness of another? Can we be agents of redemption and reconciliation? Can we accept our common humanity?  Can we accept that God placed us here, all of us here, to live in community? Can we offer help, love, kindness, understanding, or support even before it’s earned? Even if it’s never earned? God did, giving us the power and the mandate to do the same.

Romans 5

⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

John Monday