by Barb Johnson Frank, First Lutheran Member
Give credit to Carol Olson for nudging me. Carol’s a member of First Lutheran, a Benedictine oblate, a traveler, a spiritual director, a cat-lover, a physical therapist, a friend. A few months ago, as we talked about Vicar Erick’s invitation to the congregation to live more fully into its Welcome Statement, Carol mentioned that the images of God that we carry in our hearts and minds influence us more than we realize. That conversation, echoed in a couple of sermons, prodded me to think about what it means that each person is created in the image of a loving God whose presence remains forever.
Game Changer: Not long ago, I was driving along South Street when a gathering of people sitting on the sidewalk outside a behavioral health center caught my eye. “Image of God” popped into my head. Whoa. There they were, real people bearing the image of God, right in front of me. What does that mean for me? For them? For us?
Since that morning, I’ve been using “Image of God” to remind myself that a person I might momentarily have perceived as “other” is a very real part of my family, bearing God’s image. That weary checker at the grocery store? “Image of God.” A neighbor pulling dandelions? “Image of God.” The agitated person ahead of me in line? “Image of God.” A legislator I disagree with? “Image of God.” Someone fragile in body or spirit? “Image of God.” Sobbing toddler? “Image of God.” Bright-smiling helper at the donation drop-off dock? “Image of God.”
Julie K. Aageson explained this indwelling presence of God in a 2018 Living Lutheran series called Finding Home: Imago Dei. “This is not to say we are without sin or that we are perfect like God. What it does say is that God’s image “imago Dei,” is our inherent identity. To be created in God’s image means we are in union with God. God makes God’s home in us. We are invited to embody God, to be ‘little Christs.’”
For Bonus Points: In the weeks ahead, take another look at the church’s collection of framed art by iconographer Kelly Latimore (see several from the collection below). Latimore’s icons are available in the Commons and the Gathering Space, places that invite you to pause for a while. Latimore’s well-known for helping viewers think about God in fresh ways.
For the Road:
God shows up
Within and around us.
Forever at home
In ordinary people,
Living everyday lives.
Imago Dei.
Thanks be to God!
