echurch

written by Stephan Joubert

You cannot see faith, but you can see the footprints of the faithful. We must leave behind ‘faithful footprints’ for others to follow — Dennis Anderson.

Yep, God created us in his image. The Greek word eikon that the New Testament uses for the term image is probably familiar to some of us. At least we know about icons on our computer screens and about icons in those impressive Orthodox Churches, but the original meaning of eikon is captured beautifully by Scott McKnight:

“When God made humans, he gave them hearts, souls, minds, bodies and wills to make them individuals; God gave them other individuals just like themselves so they could live in community; and He gave them a world in which to live. Into this world God set Adam and Eve to be Eikons, to be visible bodies that reflect the glory of God.” (2005, Embracing Grace, A Gospel for All of Us, SPCK, p. 17)

Well, icons are images… in our case, human beings as images of God. We are visible reflections and representatives of the living God. This is the breaking news right at the start of the Bible in Genesis 1. This amazing text tells us that we share in God’s divine likeness. We share in his DNA, his character, his own heart. We humans have a common heritage as a species — we’re made in the image of God! Our abilities to learn endlessly, to feel deeply, to live in harmony with others, to have compassion, to love, think, rethink, and to innovate, is part and parcel of the heart of our all-loving Father. Great news, or what?