Image of God

There is a Jewish proverb, “Before every person there marches an angel proclaiming, ‘Behold, the image of God.’” Unselfish, sacrificial living isn’t about ignoring or denying or destroying yourself. It’s about discovering your true self—the self that looks like God—and living life from that grounding…  God’s love is everywhere, in all things, and that includes you.

                     Bishop Michael Curry with Sara Grace, Love Is the Way:

                     Holding on to Hope in Troubling Times (Avery: 2020), 95–97, 23, 49          

 

Only once have I been made mute.  It was when a man asked me “Who are you?”

                     Kahilil Gibran, Sand and Foam

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Who am I?

Who are you?

 

It is a profound question

Am I my color?  Or my gender?

 

Am I defined by my sexual preference

my body shape

my height

 

Am I defined by how I look?

handsome or beautiful, or not so

 

by my age?

The color of my hair

 

Am I defined by my genetics, the results of my DNA swab?

 

Is it my education that makes me who I am?

Or my life experiences?

 

Is it what I do?

By my job, my role in society?

 

There are certainly days when

we define and are defined by all of those things

 

I am a pasty white, northern European (with a touch of Celt)

who, caught between a 5’ (maybe) mother and at 6’3” father

ended up “average” 

 

totally average at 5”11

 

with my shock of white hair

and somewhat wrinkly skin I show my (almost) 70 years

 

I am a person of quick mind

who thinks quickly, responds quickly and writes quickly

and sometimes regrets it

 

I am educated with two masters and a doctorate

I am somewhat musical

Somewhat creative

With an eye for beauty

 

I am a work-a-holic

I am somewhat addictive by nature

There is no such thing as a single serving of potato chips

So the things I do not what to drink or eat I simply cannot have around

 

I am a worrier

A thinker

A ruminator

 

I have been an EMT, and a fundraising executive

A disaster relief worker

A pastor

An executive director of a non-profit (mental health)

And a therapist

 

I am

 

but none of that really explains who I am

either to myself or others

 

I am a part of the great I am

I am someone who participates in Someone

I am something who is part of Something (really big)

I am one woven into the fabric of the universe

I am part of creation, a sibling to animals and trees

I am earth, rooted and grounded in the mountains

 

But above all I am incarnation

I am an expression of the Sacred

I am God’s self revelation

 

I am created in the image

I am a reflection of Love

 

I am God’s workmanship

created in love

created to be love

created to do works of love

 

precious, and unique

a pearl of great price

 

and so are you