Imago Dei

Monday, May 23, 2005
I have recently decided that I have a bad habit of coming off really angry in my posts, I think it is because of my sarcastic personality, but from here on out, I declare my xanga to be a changed blog. The funny thing is I really am not angry at all, I just like to challenge my own thoughts and others, and it usually comes off in a biting tone (well... maybe I am a little frustrated with status quo too). Anyway, I have been home for a few days, and it has been really good spending time with my family. Yesterday we did a garage sale because I have so much crap from college. I am quickly finding that my mom and I are polar opposites on the saving issue, she will throw away a diamond bracelet if she hasn't worn it in a week and I will keep my toenails because of the unlikely chance that I run out of toothpicks and need my old nails to serve that purpose. Anyway, we worked like 10 hours getting ready for it, and priced everything at like 25 cents per item, and so ended up making like 3 dollars and 25 cents- it was glorious.
Overall, I feel like over the last several weeks Jesus has really been teaching me how to find Him in things that we don't normally think of as spiritual. I mean, if God is truth, anything true is from Him, regardless if it is in the bible or a bad movie, a consistent believer or the person who rejects Jesus outright. There is something about being made in the Imago Dei (image of God) that just shines remnants of who Jesus is. I have found that when I can see that in people, regardless of where they are, my perspective on them changes completely. They no longer fit in the saved/unsaved, sinner/saint, unholy/perfect categories that I usually use primarily to make myself feel good about where I stand with God (because I don't really believe what He tells me about where I stand with Him), but instead they remind me of Jesus, and how at the deepest level they bear His image- and I must take their thoughts and personality and desires seriously and learn from them- and the differences between us somehow can show me a part of the character of God that I don't carry. It is so awesome to know that only through community and relationships can we see the fullness of what it means to be made in the image of God.
(I recognize the whole total depravity thing, of which I totally believe in, can distort the image of God- but even that is only a distortion of what is good, you know?- so if we can see the distortion, and say "hey there is something there that is true," then how much have we gained?)