TUESDAY, April 5

Romans 7:13-25. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

I can be destructive. We all can be, including the author of Romans, Paul. I can’t speak for him, but I can say that the doctrine of original sin doesn’t explain it for me. I prefer another, not so widely known doctrine: “imago Dei,” roughly translated, “the image of God.”

If we are created in the image of God, then when we behave in ungodly ways, it would be convenient to have an excuse, a reason outside ourselves to account for our behavior. After all, a ton of my actions have been anything but godly.

This can lead to polarizing people between good and bad and to a simplistic doctrine of original sin that says we were good until Adam and Eve ate the apple and saw their nakedness, but now we’re bad and need someone’s help getting back to being good. This is also a convenient doctrine for folks who claim to know the path to this goodness, whether it be the purity of the Jewish law or certain beliefs about Jesus.

The God I struggle to understand is neither simple nor polarizing, but very complex—as I am coming to see that we all are, created in God’s image.

PRAY for the Diocese of Mumias (Kenya)

Ps 97, 99, [100] * 94, [95]; Jeremiah 17:19-27; John 6:16-27

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Apr 05, 2011 at 8:51 am

Written by carolyn,

Yes, God is complex and beyond any human understanding. Maybe that's the reason God came in flesh to show us personally what God is truly like. We're told that we must come to Christ as a little child--with simple, childlike faith. We're told the essence of God is found in a word: God is love. Complex but divinely simple too.

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Apr 05, 2011 at 9:04 am

Written by linda,

Peace be with you.

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Apr 05, 2011 at 9:26 am

Written by Tim Holsonback,

I know I am not perfect. I know I am unworthy but by the grace of God....

...

Apr 05, 2011 at 9:40 am

Written by Steve Doutt,

Here's the cognitive dissonance (conflicting perception) that I've had since I was a child in Sunday school.

I'm made in the image of God; but only Christ is perfect, and Christ shows us the Way. As a child a jumped to the conclusion that I was supposed to follow Christ. But I couldn't.... I kept making mistakes. I was then told that I can never achieve perfection; and, it was wrong for me to say that I wanted to be perfect, like Christ.

I found this conflict to be hilarious. I'm still conflicted.

(Episcopal layperson)

Apr 05, 2011 at 10:16 am

Written by Nancy Neighbors,

Yes, some days we just have to settle for Mystery. I like this attitude! It's so restful!

paradoxes

Apr 05, 2011 at 10:31 am

Written by Bo Cox,

One of the things I love about Buddhism is the knowing of our own not knowing. That paradox is indeed restful. An old friend of mine who studied many religions used to tell me that one of his earliest religious instructors said that one of the earmarks of a valid path is that it be parodoxical by nature.
By nature, as a rule, we tend to be controlling. This can take many forms; one of the most prevalent is the illusion of "knowing" and so, when I hear someone say they know (including hearing myself say that) I have to smile and chuckle.

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Apr 05, 2011 at 11:52 am

Written by Mary Kier,

Yes this is a confusing topic for me too. I also believe we are born in the image of God. But an image iis not the real thing. We are human and incomplete. Without God. We get distracted from the path intended for us. I too think God is a mystery that none of us know completly. Butt when we pray " thy will be done" we release ourselves to the love and wisdom of God. When that happens, we start to grow in his love and our hearts soften as we learn to love through Christ's example.

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Apr 05, 2011 at 2:44 pm

Written by Mike Armstrong,

William Temple, former Archbishop of Canterbury, wrote a brilliant explanation of original sin as being that of selfishness, putting our own will ahead of the will of God. Isn't that what always gets us in trouble?

As it was in the beginning ...

Apr 05, 2011 at 4:53 pm

Written by Angie Forde,

This, to me, is another example (like 'are you saved?') of the "was-is-will be" nature of doing business with God. I was made in the image of God. I am being changed into His likeness through the work of Jesus Christ. And one day, I shall be like Him, for I shall see Him as He is.

selfishness

Apr 05, 2011 at 6:24 pm

Written by Bo Cox,

Love the selfishness angle. A quote from a favorite book of mine: "selfishness, self-centeredness; that, we think, is the root of our troubles."
Again, all paths seem to recognize a need to lessen self; not necessarily to think less of oneself but to think of oneself less often.
Good stuff, folks.
Glad to be able to interact like this; makes the writing process even more complete and edifying.

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