Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
- Genesis 1:26
Imago Dei. The image of God. What exactly does that mean?
Last Sunday we talked about how being made in God’s image isn’t a physical thing - in other words, God doesn’t necessarily look like a human being. In fact, genetically speaking, there isn’t much difference between us and a sea sponge, so it’s obvious that that isn’t what makes us different from the rest of Creation.
What I believe is unique to God, and what He granted to us, is the ability to create. The other attributes we discussed, self-actualization, creative liberty, rational understanding, are all present to some degree in other living organisms. But if we take a look at Genesis 1:26, God says He’s going to give mankind something special, something that gives us the authority to rule over the rest of the animal kingdom.
That something special, I believe, is the ability to speak things into existence. Complex language. Higher thought. A dolphin is probably never going to be able to understand quantum theory (well, neither am I, but some of us can).
We have the unique ability to observe reality and define it. Shape it, organize it, mold it, even. And we build on those definitions until we’ve created a new outlook, a new invention, a new culture. Through the ages, humans have created great works of art and literature. Made incredible technological breakthroughs. Even built AI.
Most animals know that fire burns and gives off heat and light. Some can even be taught how to use it. But humanity was the first, and so far the only, to dig deeper. To observe it, define it, discover how it works and build off of those findings to where we are today. We started with simple fires for warmth and cooking, and now we use what we’ve learned to build rocket ships, blast off the planet and travel to the stars.
It’s a fearful and wonderful thing to be made in the image of God, isn’t it? Friend, I hope that this email encourages you to explore the ways in which you can create and shape reality in a way that honors the blessing that we’ve been given and empowers you to be an effective steward.
