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We live among resemblances. We classify creatures, animate and inanimate, within like qualities. When one sees a horse, if she knows the class "horse," she does not say, "Look at that train with four legs." When one admires the sea, he does not say, "How marvelous is the beauty of the sky!" If the lady tries to feed the train, thinking it is a horse, some ground grain, what would that look like? If the gentleman tries to find various constellations in the sea, thinking it is the sky, how futile would that be? Without the classing of resemblances and the proper actions of relating to them consequently known, how confused would human life be? Would it not be much more confusing than it now is?
Then, imagine the confusion to result from not properly classing and relating accordingly with the Image of Infinity! If the Image of Godhead, the Trinity, is not recognized and treated accordingly, then, social chaos is resultant of such ignorance.
An old Jewish saying has it that when a man or woman goes into the street, a group of angels goes before him or her. The angels call out, "Make way, make way, make way for the Image and Likeness!"
You and I are the Image and Likeness of Divinity Itself. Yes, for varied reasons, the living of the Image has been obstructed over time. Still, the Image, what we can call the Depth Dimension, remains, for what is of-God cannot become un-of-God.
Central to the Christian message is recognizing the worth of each person and people. The recognition of worth, however, is not based on humanistic anthropology, but on spiritual theology. Due to the person being the Image and Likeness, he or she deserves respect, though his or her actions may highlight how far one can live from respecting himself or herself.
Though we may love many creatures, as we love our pets, Jesus never said, "Love your goat as you love yourself," nor did he say, "Love your parrot as you love yourself." The Gospel dos teach us to love other persons as we love ourselves.
The Writer of James recognized the priority of the law of love, manifested in impartiality, to the extent he calls it the "royal law":
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors (James 2.8-9, ESV).
*OneLife writings are offered by Brian K. Wilcox, a United Methodist pastor serving in the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. Brian lives a vowed contemplative life with his two dogs, Bandit Ty and St. Francis, in North Florida. OneLife writings are for anyone seeking to live and share love, joy, and peace in the world and in devotion to God as she or he best understands God.
The Peace of Christ to All!
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