“Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.’
So God created humankind in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them. ’” -Genesis 1:26-27
Billions of people have received this story, over thousands of years. It tells us we, human beings, resemble our maker. The biblical account does not provide a moment by moment analysis of HOW we happened to be created; this is not an explanation that answers all of our questions. The language and style is poetic, liturgical; it summarizes a great deal. It is not vague, though, in making its point: the biblical story about the beginnings of humankind is about our relationship to our Maker. It is about God, breathing life into us, and God designing work for us to carry out with Creation, according to the image and likeness we bear. It is a creative story, a life giving story.
Other creation stories emerged during the era of ancient Israel. What is distinctive about this one?
Growing up in the Jewish community of his homeland, Jesus of Nazareth received this story, too. How did he understand it? How did he respond? How do we respond?
NEXT FOUR SUNDAYS
- January 26th – IN OUR IMAGE Genesis 1:26-27; Contemplative Prayer
- February 2nd – THY SON, THY MOTHER John 19:26-27; Confession, Sacrament
- February 9th – VERY GOOD GIFT Genesis 1:28-31; Prayers of Gratitude
- February 16th – LIFE AND DEATH Genesis 2:4b-17; Contemplative Prayer
THANK YOU FOR
SERVING TOGETHER
LAST SUNDAY, we came together with gifts to pass along to Aurora Commons. Together, we filled at least one hundred packs with supplies for people who spend a significant portion of their lives on the streets in north Seattle. It was a good way to honor the work and memory of Martin Luther King Junior. More importantly (as MLK Jr. would agree), it was a good way to honor the Lord, and love our neighbor.