Eastertide
April 12, 2018
Scripture Reading: 1 John 3:1-7
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. –1 John 3:1-3
We are told from the first book in the Bible that we are made in the image of God. The more we understand God the more we understand ourselves. I am participating in a study of the book of Hosea which deals among other things with idolatry. This group just finish reviewing Amos and Joel, so we have been dipped deeply in the prophets’ disdain for idol worship. The scary thing is they each describe our society today. We do not have many golden calves left but we certainly have our own set of other gods to worship. Most are carefully crafted in whatever style makes us feel better and reflects our values. The obvious problem is we are called to reflect God’s values.
All humans are children of God, created in God’s image. Since we all do not look or act alike what does that mean? Perhaps the answer lies in Jesus’ summary of the most important commandments to love God and to love one another*. Is the capacity to love our reflection of God’s image? Love certainly is a large portion of what it means to be made in the image of God.
I like M. Scott Peck’s definition of love, defining it as wanted the very best for another. But we cannot merely view love in as a one-on-one relationship. It is indeed, but it is also a one-on-many relationship and a many-on-many relationship. Of course, the ultimate love relationship that is the model for all types of love is the love between God and God’s creation, which is a paradox of being unconditional and ultimately binding.
How do we extract ourselves from the web of lesser gods that always are conditional and never last? We must fulfill our makers design of being made in God’s image by letting go of all the conditions we place on others while building relationships that stand the tests of time.
Prayer: Lord, help me see others as you see them making me better able to love them as they are and as you see them becoming. Amen.
*Matthew 22:35–40 and Mark 12:28–34