Re-membering It Forward, part 5: Image Matters

(This blog series explores re-membering as a way to ground us wholly in the Holy. This blog explores how reflecting our true image as God’s reflection helps re-member us to God, ourselves, one another and the world.)

We see reflections throughout the day, like from light fixtures in the window glass of our homes, or a coffee shop, or the office.

We might even encounter beautiful reflections from time to time – pink clouds on skyscraper windows; trees and sky rippling in water; and in the mirror – you. Yes, even you!

Do you know that you are beautiful?

Whether you want to refute it or not, you are beautiful, because you are Imago Dei – made in the image of God. Imago Dei has inspired my imagination for some time. Humanity made in the Image God, and, therefore, inherently good, beautiful, lovely and loving.

What do we try to reflect to others – or even ourselves – throughout the day?

Are we honest with what we try to portray or are we masking, hiding something from others or ourselves?

After years of offering pastoral care, I know a myriad of reasons exist why we try to hide and what we try to hide, and I won’t go into these things now. Instead, I want to explore Re-membering It Forward by living fully into the Imago Dei, and I have three wonderings for what it means for us to live into Imago Dei; to reflect the image of God.

First, I wonder if we know our true image by looking at our reflection – both the external one in the mirror and the internal we see (and maybe try to avoid) when we close our eyes – or open them at 2 in the morning…

Second, I wonder if we even know what image we’re seeking… maybe it’s hidden under layers of hurt, pride, success, or shame…

Third, since we are made in God’s image, I wonder how we choose to reflect God’s image to ourselves and to the world.

We Re-member It Forward when we are honest with ourselves about who we are trying to portray to ourselves, to others, and to the world. And we Re-member It Forward when we are honest about who or what we are trying to hide.

The Good News of God’s love is God knows our true image and desires for all of us to live into the beauty of who God has created us to be. We do not have to hide anything from God.

God’s love for us does not depend upon our achievements; and God’s love for us is not negated by our failures or because of what others have done to us.

In the Jesus stories we encounter a conversation around images and imaging. Some people question Jesus trying to discredit him and make him look foolish to others. A paraphrase sounds like this: “Should people who follow God and God’s ways pay taxes and support an oppressive regime?” Jesus requests to see a Roman coin, and then he asks the people whose image they see imprinted on the coin. “Caesar’s,” they say. Jesus answers, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” Or in other words, because to them Rome was the World, “give to the World what belongs to the World, and give to God what belongs to God.”

However, this story goes much deeper than taxes and government. Yes, Jesus’ reply answers their initial question, and it answers what should have been their follow-up questions. What we don’t read, yet should hear loud and clear is this: “Who bears God’s image?” We do. “What do we give to God?” Ourselves.

Maybe later that day Jesus’ followers asked him, “Jesus, how do we give ourselves to God? How do we reflect God’s image?”

I wonder if Jesus used the following passage from Deuteronomy to provide an answer:

“For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them with food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”

Deuteronomy 10:17-19 offers a possibility for how we Re-member It Forward as we reflect God’s image to the world by the way we care for the poor, the outcast, the stranger by:

shining light to all those who live in the shadows of empire, power, and privilege;

seeing all those who are not seen by ‘the World’;

loving all those who have forgotten that they are beautiful because it’s been so long since seeing a reflection of their beauty in our eyes and our actions.

We Re-member It Forward as we try to embrace the Imago Dei both in ourselves and in others.

We Re-member It Forward as we reflect this image of goodness, truth, beauty, forgiveness, and love to the world.

How can you embrace you true image this week?

How can you embrace your goodness and beauty this week?

How can you reflect others’ goodness and beauty back to them this week?