Imago Dei
February 11th, 2024 – Communion Meditation
I recently had a conversation with a precious elderly woman who had once enjoyed a vibrant family life, rich community connections, and many travels around the world. Maria’s children had grown up and moved away, her husband had passed, and her health had begun to falter. Now Maria felt isolated and alone, despairing of life itself. She asked her doctor, “Why are you bothering keeping this old bag of bones alive? I’d be better off dead!” I cradled Maria’s withered hand in mine. She had already told me about enough stories about her childhood that I knew she’d been well trained in Christian faith and the Scriptures. “Do you remember the phrase, ‘Imago Dei’?” I asked her. “Of course I do – it means the image of God!”
Our very identity is so important to God that God described it at the very beginning of his book, in Genesis 1:27 – “God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” For Christians, this is our fundamental understanding of what it means to be human. God has somehow shaped humankind in God’s image. What exactly does that mean? Theologians have lively discussions about these things, but at the very least, we know that God has endowed all humans with the ability to live as rational and moral beings, the capacity to have relationships with God and one another, and the possibility of acting on God’s behalf. Second-century theologian, Irenaeus, said it best: “The glory of God is a human being fully alive!” This is incredible! In our world today, there are so many false answers to the question, “Who am I?” Competing claims endlessly bombard us from all sides. As we center our hearts and minds on God in this time of Communion, I invite you right here, right now, to hear God’s affirmation of your true identity. Jesus came to take us back with him into the eternal embrace, to experience union with God through him, with him, in him, right here, right now, and forever. As we partake of the body and blood of Christ, remember that we are the ongoing body of Christ, and hear Christ’s invitation to you today to be fully alive – this is the glory of God!
On the night that Jesus was betrayed, he took the bread and said, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” (Eat together) Again, Jesus took the cup and said, “This is my blood of the new covenant poured out for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” (Drink together)
