The book of Genesis- the book of our origin and creation- says that we are made in the image of God- the imago Dei. What does it mean to be made in the image of God?
Lots of thoughtful people have considered what it means to be made in God’s image. One popular answer is our Reason; that the way we are most like God is in our ability to think, to imagine something beyond ourselves. Like algebra- you can’t see algebra; you can’t taste or feel algebra. But humans can reason in such a way as to imagine that which is beyond themselves.
Another answer, very close to reason, is Creativity. What does it mean to be made in the image of God? It means to be able to create: To be able to see that which is beyond the eyes, and to form something from that which was not. Creativity is like Reason in that it goes outside of its own world to imagine something else; it goes beyond reason in that it doesn’t just imagine, but it actually creates something new. Just like God- creating the world out of nothing. That which Was Not, now Is.
But St. John has a different concept of what it is to be made in the image of God. In his first letter, chapter 4:16, John writes, “God is… Love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.”
God is Love. Not “Love is God”: we are not to worship Love as a God. No, but “God is Love”: love is who and what God is in God’s very core and being. What is it to be made in the image of God? I think it is to be made in the image of Love.
Love, like reason, imagines something beyond itself. Love, like creativity, out of its imagining creates something beyond itself. But Love goes beyond both reason and creativity, in that it reaches out beyond itself FOR THE SAKE OF THE OTHER. Not simply out of curiosity, or usefulness, or possessiveness. Love cares. Love lays itself down for the sake of the Other.
What does this image of God look like? In his first letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul describes it- not fully, not definitively, but enough to get a sense of what this Love which is our inheritance looks like.
“Love is kind and patient; it’s never jealous or boastful, or proud, or rude. Love isn’t selfish or quick-tempered. It doesn’t keep a record of all the wrongs that other people do. Love rejoices in the truth- but never rejoices in evil. Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting. Love never fails.” (1 Cor. 13:4-8)
It’s who you are, when you are most like God, in whose image you were made. It’s who you are, when you are most true to who you are in the core of your being.
There is such power when we say what is actually true about us. Alcoholics Anonymous understands the power of truth when they insist that the first step toward healing, toward becoming your authentic, whole self, is saying what is true. “My name is Bill, and I am an alcoholic.” “Alcoholic” is not what Bill is in his essential being, but it is true for right now. And the admission of that truth is the beginning of healing.
Now what is most central to us is not our imperfections and addictions. It is Love. That’s how God made us. That’s who we ARE in our essence. The admissions of our imperfections (in the old days, we called them ‘sins!’) is true, but it is not the whole truth.
An old Scottish prayer says, “O Lord, show us ourselves as we are, And as Thou hast purposed us to be. And then hide us from Thy tears.” When we place ourselves in the mirror of what God has purposed us to be, sometimes we can see what we actually are, and what needs to change for us to be true to what God created us to be.
One such mirror is 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Would you say it with me? “Love is kind and patient; it’s never jealous or boastful, or proud, or rude. Love isn’t selfish or quick-tempered. It doesn’t keep a record of all the wrongs that other people do. Love rejoices in the truth- but never rejoices in evil. Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting. Love never fails.”
It’s beautiful, and it’s very nice for love to be that way. But what if, imagining that we are indeed to be the very image of God, we replaced the word “love’ with the word ‘I’.
I am kind and patient; I am never jealous or boastful, or proud, or rude. I am not selfish or quick-tempered. I don’t keep a record of all the wrongs that other people do. I rejoice in the truth- but I never rejoice in evil. I am always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting. I never fail in my love.
Do that and it gets a little personal, maybe a little uncomfortable.
I’m going to be very Un-Congregational right now, and ask you to turn to someone next to you. If you’re sitting by yourself, tap someone close to you on the shoulder and say, ‘I’m your partner!’ Now, whoever is the older of the partnership (since age models virtue for youth!), repeat what I say to your partner. Don’t look away from them; look straight into their eyes. And partners, you meet their gaze. And no, it’s not supposed to be comfortable!
Okay- Older, wiser partner… begin:
I am kind and patient…
I am never jealous or boastful… or proud, or rude.
I am not selfish or quick-tempered…
I don’t keep a record… of the wrongs other people do…
I rejoice in the truth… I never rejoice in evil…
I am always supportive and loyal… hopeful, and trusting….
I never fail in my love.
How was that? Did anything inside of you say, “Yup, that’s me!” Did anything inside of you start to squirm? Really sneaky-like, without anybody looking, take your crayon and mark which part made you squirm.
Now switch, and you younger ones say it to your elders, meeting their gaze. Ready… and… go!
I am kind and patient…
I am never jealous or boastful… or proud, or rude.
I am not selfish or quick-tempered…
I don’t keep a record… of the wrongs other people do…
I rejoice in the truth… I never rejoice in evil…
I am always supportive and loyal… hopeful, and trusting….
I never fail in my love.
Did anything inside of you say, “Yup, that’s me!” Did anything inside of you start to squirm?
Now both of you, really sneaky-like, take your crayon and mark which part made you squirm. And where you squirmed (note I don’t say, “If you squirmed”, but “Where you squirmed!” know that that is God talking to you. Know that God has something better in mind for you. Not so you can be the best in the world, but so that you may be the best for the world.
In the Name of the One who desires so much more for us, even Jesus the Christ. Amen.
Scripture for July 29, 2018 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Let me show you a way of life that is better than all others. What if I could speak all languages of all humans, and even of the angels? If I did not love others, I would be nothing more than a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. What if I could prophesy and understand all secrets and all knowledge? And what if I had so much faith I could even move mountains? I would be nothing, unless I loved others. What if I gave away everything that I owned, and let myself be killed for my faith? I would gain nothing, unless I loved others. Love is kind and patient; it is never jealous or boastful, or proud, or rude. Love isn’t selfish or quick-tempered. It doesn’t keep a record of all the wrongs that other people do. Love rejoices in the truth, but never rejoices in evil. Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting. Love never fails. When we were children, we thought and reasoned as children do. But when we grew up, we quit our childish ways. Now all we can see of God is like a cloudy picture in a mirror. Later we will see God face to face. We don’t know everything now… but then, we will- just as God completely understands us. But for now, there are faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love.
Friends, listen to what the Spirit would say to us today.