God's Self-Revelation

God’s Image as Self-Revelation

When God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness,” notice who was taking responsibility for making us in his image. God himself was. This point is very important for a couple of reasons. First, God will not fail in this proposal any more than he fails in any other proposal. Because God decided to make us to be his image, we will finally fulfill that role and become that which we were created to be.

Equally significant to the present discussion is the fact that God is proposing to make us in his own self-image.

Eavesdropping on Theology Class

I recently learned that my book, Covenant and Community, has been assigned as required reading for a course on "Theology of the Human" at Trinity College, University of Toronto. The course, as I understand it, is the "what," "how," and "why" of being human, all from a biblical perspective. Thus it perfectly corresponds to the book, which is a study of the "what," "how," and "why" of God's image.

I would be curious to eavesdrop

Before the Law

Does God love us and save us because we obey him, or do we obey him because he loves and saves us?

It's an ancient question, to which we all know the answer, but I think the following quote is both concise and potent. Perhaps it is so potent because it is so concise.

The Image of God

Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Now known as wife of Robert Browning; during their lives Robert was known as the husband of Elizabeth Barrett.

Here is a little piece from her translation of Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus. Clearly she took some liberties with his work.


THE IMAGE OF GOD

Thou! art thou like to god?
(I asked this question of the glorious sun)
Thou high unwearied one,
Whose course in heat, and light, and life is run?

Where Are You Pointing?

In Covenant and Community I make a case for understanding God's image not as any part of the blueprint by which God designed us. God's image is not in us. Nowhere. Rather God's image is the purpose for which we were made, the role that we play in the universe and beyond, and the plan toward which God is bringing us in Christ.

But others see it differently. The different locations for God's image in the poem below are all proposals from eminent theologians. Most of them I respect highly in general but disagree with on this question.

Written slightly in imitation of William Cowper and presented with no serious disrespect intended.


Where Are You Pointing?
or I Can’t See It Yet

God built his image into man
The theologians say
Thus his inscrutibeautiful self
In skin and bone display.

But where in us this image lies
They never can decide;
Is it in your gorgeous eyes?
Or hidden deep inside?

Is it our brains, which think like his
And make us good/bad seeing?
He surely would be proud that we
His conscience are displaying.

Or that we on our hind legs stand
And gaze into the sky
Longing for the land from which
Our spirits Hellward fly.

Or that we do in part excel
The kingdom animalia
And plan our murders in advance
A fiendish foreordalia?

Perhaps we show his image in
Our most angelic parts,
Omnipotentest sovereignty
Unveiled in shriveled hearts.

Or was it only once in us?
We left its shards in Eden?
And now for blood to glue them back
The Spirit’s intercedin’?

God dropped his image into man
His drop into our ocean?
Or wiped it on and rubbed it in:
Our holy suntan lotion?

God built his image into man,
But where, we are not sure!
It seems to me the teachers have
The cart the horse before.