When it is said that humans are made in the image and likeness of God, what does that mean? Does the word image mean a replica or symbolic similarity? Is likeness a resemblance? What seems lacking in this English translation is that these words Image and Likeness infer a visual similarity. But, we are often taught that it our souls, our actions, our behavior that defines our potential spiritual purity, not our looks.So, I don't think Image and Likeness means we look like God or that he has two hands, feet or whatever. It must be deeper. Otherwise, the Apostles would have told us what Jesus looked like. But they didn't. So, it must mean that we are endowed with God's ability to feel compassion, to forgive, to sacrifice, to be merciful and helpful and, above all else, to love. As John says in his gospel, God is love. So, perhaps that is how we are in His Image and Likeness... that we have the ability, the free will of choice to love. And through that love and the acts that encompass its unconditional existence, we bring ourselves closer to our Creator and His Son.
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5 comments:
I have two thoughts on this topic...
1. Since God doesn't experience time, but is above it, could it be that when He created man He looked at Jesus as He was on Earth and designed us according to what He saw? A bit of chicken/egg paradox, but one that God might enjoy.
2. I agree with your belief that being created in the image and likeness of God must extend down to the level of the soul. But I also believe that the mystery of the Trinity is also found in our own bodies. Each of us have a fundamental core to our psyche that is the source of our creativity, morality, etc. This is similar to the idea of God the Father, the Creator. The process of me describing these fundamental things that make me Paul is a similar process to the way Jesus, the Word, is explained. The way I think about myself drives my actions. After describing who I am, I would be required to act upon what I learned. How I act is based on what I think about my core self. This is similar to the way that the Holy Spirit is explained.
God, the Creator, thought about Himself. Those thoughts are so perfect that they became the second person of the Trinity, Jesus. The love between the Creator and the Word produced a third person, the Holy Spirit. We go through the same process imperfectly and to an infinitesimal degree. But we are each a trinity, one person with three 'natures'. With us these three natures constantly conflict with each other. With God they are perfectly aligned.
Actually, Ketlevin, no we are not sure. I have yet to receive conclusive DNA test results.
The idea of the act of God thinking of himself creating another entity of the trinity is intriguing. I'll have to think about that one for a while.
Pete,
An excellent theology book is Theology for Beginners by Frank Sheed. Here is a link,
http://shop.catholic.com/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/online-store/scstore/p-B0072.html?L+scstore+dqvb7695ffeec5ee+1155233253
Paul
To Paul's first comment: I say 'No'. While I agree that God has all time before Him always, I believe as Scripture tells us. "That God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..." God's love for us could not be contained in His being and our existence separately - even though we are bound by time. He loves us so much He wanted to be with us as we exist in time.
His love for us is so great that He created Jesus, the Word made flesh, in our likeness so that we might come to know Him better. God knew we would not open to His love by acts of wizardry and magic, shock and awe! After all, man can do those things. What man has a problem with is giving up himself for others. That aspect of God’s love could not have been demonstrated any other way except by Jesus’ life and death. His resurrection brings us out of ‘time’ and into His presence.
And it is God in Jesus that ignited the Holy Spirit laying dormant within most of mankind until He came. The world was never the same again. His sacrifice at the hands of man teaches us what we must do. To love all of His creation by giving ourselves for each other.
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