What Does It Mean to Say Humankind was Made in the Image of God - Essay Example

Order 336780 Topic: What does it mean to say humankind was made in the image of God? “God certainly sees the truth as a whole, and it is the duty of the theologian to think the truths of God after him. There should be a constant endeavour to see the truth as God sees it, even-though it is perfectly evident that the ideal is beyond the grasp of man in his present condition.”(Louis, 1996, p.15 ) Wise men all over the world have written millions of pages about man and his relationship with God, and their intellectual viewpoints have not been able to arrive at any definite conclusion—the final answer has always eluded them in the known history—what a profound mystery! The issue is not with the revelations. Spiritual revelations of all the divine incarnates is one and the same, for they speak from beyond-the mind level, where bliss alone, the Eternal Light alone, revels. That perfect state transcends dualities or confusion. All dogmas are related to the mind-level understanding of the humankind. Perfection is not possible at this level. One has to cross the barrier of mind. “ All dogmatism has this in common, that they are clothed with a certain authority. Naturally, the basis of this authority differs. Scientific dogmas have the authority of the axiomatic or self-evident truth. Philosophical dogmas deserve their authority from the generally admitted arguments by which they are established. Political dogmas are clothed with the authority of the government by which they are decreed. And religious dogmas are based on divine revelation(either real or supposed), and are therefore authoritative.”(Louis, p.18) But revelations are unquestionable and are beyond the scope of arguments and counter-arguments. The essential difference between religion and spirituality needs to be understood. Spirituality is all-embracing for the entire humankind. If one turns the pages of history, they are daubed in the bloodshed related to conflicts between the different religious communities. “Hence this should not introduce God as an object about which man must speak, but as a subject which addresses man, and to which man must respond.”(Louis, p.11) Man in Relation To God: When one talks about man in relation to God, the first question that arises in ones mind is the justification for the existence of an individual. There is a purpose behind ones arrival in this planet, a plan behind ones existence and a reason for the final departure, once liberated from the mortal bindings. Being born and to walk up to the grave is not the real purpose of life. “Christian religious faith is faith in the regeneration of man who is alienated from God, a regeneration effected through the knowledge of God in Christ.”(Louis, p.41) Logic, howsoever thoughtful and profound, must reach the stumbling block of the mind-barrier, beyond which it can not progress. There can be lots of common ground between the religious and the atheist. Even without the divine inspiration one can practice goodness, can possess a beautiful heart and derive the meaning of life from life itself. Is trust, love and ethical behaviour are not possible without reposing faith in God? An individual with such positive qualities is on the march towards divinity, whether one admits it by that name or not! “The divinity of a man was emphasized in view of the fact that the most important revelation of God was found in the inner life.”(Louis, p.106.) The Gods image we are talking about and the achievement of which is the ultimate purpose of human life, is not about explaining one or two aspects of it. The pursuit is about the total grasp and direct experience of divinity. Having reached that transcendental level, all else is kindergarten stuff. The path before the seeker is full of pitfalls and the evil tendencies challenge one at every step. “Sin affects the whole person—mind, emotions, and will. Human beings are radically depraved in their being. Another way to say this is that they are extensively affected by sin. But humans are not totally depraved is an intensive sense, since sin does not destroy the image of God....Gods image is effaced but not erased. Thus, even though all of the aspects of the natural constitution of humankind have been adversely affected by the fall and sin, nevertheless, they have not been erased but remain and operate to one extent or another according to the intention and need of each individual.” (Little,2003, p.105-106.)An individual, who is in the genuine pursuit of spirituality, search of Truth that is God, learns by ones mistakes, and with every such learning experience, “ that man becomes conscious of his potential divinity and that he consciously yields to the guidance of the higher principle within him.”(Louis, p.479.) For the one who genuinely repents, the sins serve as the ascending steps of the ladder of spirituality. What does it mean to say humankind was made in the image of God? When it is said that humankind was made in the image of God, that says about the possibility and the ultimate goal of the human being. Union with God by the process of self-realization is the be-all and end-all of a human being. Speaking from the level of spirituality, there can not be another purpose of life. Confusion arises when the nature of true spiritual existence is confused and intertwined with religion. Religion is a mind-level subject; spirituality beats the mind!“Do you believe in God, professor?” Thus interrogated by a journalist, Einstein answered simply, “First tell me what you mean by God, and then Ill tell you if I believe in him.” That is the correct procedure. A normal definition is necessary for believers and atheists alike,both should know just what it is they do or do not believe in.”(Sponville, 2007,p.68) This is adequate for the process of inquiry to start. Believing in anything presupposes an inquiry by the ardent seeker; finally believing demands direct experience. Direct experience demands the process or procedure for such direct experience. This is only possible through the inner search as in any external procedure of inquiry mind is involved, whose domain is limited. Remember Who You Are Richard J. Vincent in his article, Remember Who You Are, writes, “This vision of God changes our perspective of everything else: the world, ourselves, our place in the world, and others. It helps us answer one of the most perplexing questions: Who am I? The answer according to divine revelation is that you and I are made in the image and likeness of God. This is the essential starting point of a distinctively Christian spirituality: the recognition that humankind is made in the image and likeness of God. It is impossible to understand who we are apart from God. We cannot speak of ourselves apart from God, for we are made in Gods image. It is therefore vital to a robust Christian spirituality to remember who we are.”(Vincent....) To define God is to deny God. Yet the wise people say that humankind was made in the image of God. The task of further elaborating this statement has always been challenging for theologians and the ardent students of the sacred scriptures. Numerous conflicting and contradictory explanations have been offered. Everyone mentions about this subject from ones intellectual level—from the level of ones spiritual progression, so to say. Some of the explanations to elucidate the image of God are: a) That the image of God relates to ones rationality. But this is incomplete assumption. Humankind is more than just a reasoning being. But how one can exclude the ones that are mentally challenged? Divinity is the essential part of them as well. b) Jean Vanier defines human beings as “someone capable of love”.(Vanier, 1997, p. xv) c) Some argue that the image of God that humans are moral beings, as they have the gift of freedom of choice and shape lives as per own volition. d) The image of God is also explained in terms of human capacity for relationships. Gods image is something more than in an isolated individual. This amounts to limiting the power of God. “ The fact that God the creator upholds all things by His power, that He has set the stamp of His divinity on then world and created man to be His own image.”(Louis, p.135) e) “Others define the image of God as our call to have dominion on the earth. As Gods image-bearers we represent God in the ongoing stewardship of creation. But the image is not dominion itself. This is merely an expression or activity of Gods image. It is the result of possessing the divine image and not its inherent meaning. While humans are central to Gods creation, it is true that God delights in the whole of Gods creation. As Gods image-bearers we are to steward our corner of Gods creation.” (Vincent....) All the above definitions make a desperate bid to strike the balance between the human and divine. The life of the human being is meaningless without linking it to divinity. Until the arrival of Christ on the Planet Earth this unsolved question remained unsolved. Jesus Christ is presented as the image of God. His divinity and humanity, both are perfect. “ Jesus is but a man, yet at the same time, they feel constrained to ascribe to Him the value of a God, or to claim divinity for Him in virtue of the immanence of God in Him, or of the indwelling Spirit.”(Louis, p.319) “Those who say that they believe in God and yet neither love nor fear him, do not in fact believe in him but in those who have taught them that God exists. Those who believe that they believe in God, but without any passion in their heart, any anguish of mind, without uncertainty, without doubt, without an element of despair, even in their consolation, believe only in the God-idea, not in God.”(Houston, 2007, p.276-277) Augustus Hopkins Strong gives a beautiful explanation that says everything about the concept of humankind was made in the image of God. Each human being sees a new horizon as for ones relationship with God. No two human beings are alike and their thinking level can not be similar either. While discussing the topic Union with Christ, Strong comments that “ the scriptures declare that, through the operation of God, there is constituted a union of the soul with Christ-different in kind from Gods natural and …..as well as from all unions of mere association or sympathy, moral likeness, or moral influence,--a union of life, in which the human spirit, while then most truly possessing its own individuality and personal distinctness, is interpenetrated and energized by the Spirit of Christ, is made inscrutably one with him, and so becomes a member and partaker of that regenerated, believing and justified humanity of which he is the head.”(Strong, p.795) This sums up the relationship and clears the image concept to a great extent. In Christs humanity we see most clearly who God is, for Jesus is God revealed to us, "the Word made flesh." Conversely, in Christs humanity we see most clearly what it means to be truly and fully human, for no human being ever completely fulfilled this divine vocation than Jesus. Put simply: In Jesus, we are given a true vision of God and a true vision of humankind.” (Vincent....) Jurgen Moltmann puts it thus: "The world is Gods creation, but not his image. Only the human person was destined to be Gods image. God is more visible in his image than in his works." ( Moltmann, 1980, p.66) Human beings are not God. They are made like God. The life of human being is linked to divinity. To say that we are like God is not to establish our identity with God. Gods reflection is seen in humankind. When one says that humankind is filled with God, it refers to the language of relationship. This is a relative explanation and does not guarantee total identification. “No matter what a persons gender, class, status, sexual orientation, religion, lack of religion, ethnic identity, age, intelligence, ability, or disability, all are made in Gods image and deserve dignity, honor, and respect. Because humans are made in Gods image, people have supreme value. They are more important than systems, philosophies, wealth, or anything else in the universe" ( Baldwin, 1986, p.10) Conclusion: Spirituality is not an after-retirement project. That is within an individual from the cradle to the grave, from the womb to the the tomb. It is not to obey certain dogmatic commands. It constantly reminds the human being about ones innate nature and guides one in the path of self-realization. ============= Works Cited: Baldwin, Joyce G. The Message of Genesis 12-50. Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter Varsity Press, 1986), 10. Houston, James M. The Fulfillment:Pursuing True Happiness:Victor, England, 2007, p.276-277. Jurgen Moltmann, Experiences of God. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1980,p. 66. Little, Christopher R. The Revelation of God Among the Un-evangelized: An Evangelical Appraisal and Missiological Contribution to the Debate. William Carey Library Pub. August 2003. Louis, Bekhof. Systematic Theology. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; September 1996 Sponville, Andre Comte. The Little Book of Atheist Spirituality. Penguin Group, 2007 Strong, Augustus Hopkins. Systematic Theology. Barnes & Noble. p.795 Vanier, Jean. Our Journey Home. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Press, 1997, xv. Vincent, Richard, J. Article:Remember who you are. www.theocentric.com/spirituality/.../remember_who_you_are.html – Cached-Retrieved on December 25,2009. Read More