Lately I’ve been pondering the concept of ‘Imago Dei’. Latin for ‘the Image of God’, this is the idea that every human person is created in God’s image. It was – and is – also a spiritual practice, of seeking to see the mark or image of God in every person you encounter.
This practice is not about religion, it’s about relationship.
The distinction is an important one.
It’s easy to see ‘Imago Dei’ in some people, some moments: in acts of kindness, selflessness, creativity and love.
It’s harder to see in others, like wild tantrums, bitter criticism, shame, despair, defensiveness, dismissal, destruction.
Perhaps it’s even more important in those more difficult moments.
In Penelope Wilcock’s trilogy, ‘The Hawk and the Dove’, she writes about 14th Century monks seeking to practice ‘Imago Dei’ with each other and with the suffering, often ungrateful, sometimes criminal characters they nurse in their infirmary. A challenging but important work of love that often transformed the givers as much or more than the receivers.
Author, C.S. Lewis said about prayer:
“It doesn’t change God. It changes me.”
Perhaps this is true of the practice of ‘Imago Dei’ also. Deciding to see the God-part in people, the divine light, the beauty, the value, the good – even (or especially) when they rub us the wrong way or we disagree or their human actions hurt us – may change us more than them; may liberate us from limitations of self-righteousness and judgement and enable us to grow beyond the moment of injury, grow through it.
This practice of ‘Imago Dei’ is something I seek to hold, together with my clients, in each session: to see, and hopefully reflect to them the strength and courage and wisdom, the grace and beauty and capacity to create, to change, to thrive, visible within each person, even (or especially) in their weakest, darkest moments.
U2’s Milennial release, ‘Grace’, reflects this idea beautifully too. (By the way, I can’t believe this song is now 24 years old!) Here are the lyrics and a link to the song on YouTube. I offer it as an ‘alternative Christmas carol’ or a prompt for reflection and meditation at this time of year, especially for anyone who may need a little more grace than usual to find the ‘Imago Dei’ in some of the people they’ll see in this season.
Grace
She takes the blame
She covers the shame
Removes the stain
It could be her name
Grace
It’s the name for a girl
It’s also a thought that
Changed the world
And when she walks on the street
You can hear the strings
Grace finds goodness
In everything
Grace
She’s got the walk
Not on a ramp or on chalk
She’s got the time to talk
She travels outside
Of karma, karma
She travels outside
Of karma
When she goes to work
You can hear her strings
Grace finds beauty
In everything
Grace
She carries a world on her hips
No champagne flute for her lips
No twirls or skips between her fingertips
She carries a pearl
In perfect condition
What once was hurt
What once was friction
What left a mark
No longer stings
Because Grace makes beauty
Out of ugly things
Grace finds beauty
In everything
Grace finds goodness in everything.
Warm wishes for the very best for you and those you love this season,
Katie
