Thoughts for the Day

Then God said, 'Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.'

So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

God blessed them, and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.' .....and God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

As we saw in yesterday's Thoughts for the Day (see Genesis 1, above), the creation of the world is not for me a factual account, but a story that gives meaning and choice for all. Over millennia God's great plan came into fruition, and human beings were finally created 'in the image of God' to have a personal relationship with Him. We know that God is not the same as us, he is 'holy', and can exist apart from us, but as St Augustine says:

'You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.'

In the same way that you and I are made to have fellowship with God, so are all other people. Every person I come in contact with is precious for this reason, whatever their colour, creed, or circumstances. Having a right relationship with God, means I must have a right relationship with all other human beings. I have no right to look down on them or treat them as second-class, for all are made in the image of God.

Almighty God,
You have taught us that
we were made in Your image.
Help us to treat all people
as Your precious creations
who were made in Your image,
to have a relationship with You.
Amen.