So God created humankind[a] in his image,

    in the image of God he created them;[b]

    male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)

 

To turn and to turn will be our delight,

‘til by turning and turning we come ‘round right.  (Old Shaker Hymn “tis a Gift to be Simple’)

 

God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. (Genesis 1: 31)

 

All this week I have been surfing the news and shaking my head at what I’m hearing.  Covid is on the rise again and our healthcare system is collapsing under the pressure; but no, masking remains voluntary and kinda stigmatized.  We’re seeing gun violence in unprecedented ways.  Monkeypox is on the increase and well – because it seems to be mostly confined to a single marginalized group, its also stigmatized and so isn’t being take seriously.  Inflation is rising high enough to force people into poverty and safe, affordable housing is a such a premium that small towns are starting to see ‘tent cities’ crop up because people just can’t afford rents.  The service industry is so understaffed that small business owners are pleading for staff to no avail.  We see people polarized so that groups are cropping up that espouse ideas that would’ve been almost unheard of 3 years ago – ideas that incite violence and discrimination; often in the name of Jesus.  Then there’s the obvious issue of climate change; the heatwave that is killing our elderly and vulnerable family members, as well as storms that create all sorts of havoc on our infrastructure.

 

It feels a little like the Seven Seals spoken about in the book of Revelation are slowly being opened, and we are facing an Apocalypse.

 

And we are, kinda.  Certainly, an Apocalypse of our own making.  You see, one of the fundamental differences between the apocalypse in the Book of Revelation, and what we’re seeing right now, is that we created what we are facing.  Our insatiable appetite for power, for materialism and for control has put us in this position.  I know that as people who profess to follow Jesus we are working to function in antithesis to all of those things, but ya know?  I’ve colluded.  We’ve colluded.  We continue to fall prey to the need for more, the need for ‘bigger’ the need for ‘better’.  I know we are good people who really try to follow what God wants us to do – but there is a little bit of a learned helplessness in all of this, isn’t it.  A learned helplessness that says that we offer our ‘thoughts and prayers’ but rarely offer action in the name of Jesus.  A learned helplessness that compels us to hang out in fancy coffee shops and retreat centres shaking our heads with like minded people but not spurring us to gather with the ‘tax collectors and sinners’ of our society like Jesus did when he walked here on earth. A learned helplessness that allows us to see things erode in front of our eyes rather than spurring on a building up of God’s good Creation.

 

I wonder who Jesus would hang out with if he were here now.  I’ve pondered the idea that he’d be sitting in tents in 30 degree weather with other people who are unhoused.  I wonder if he would offer them a drink from his own water bottle, and then search out someone’s back yard garden hose to refill it again; only to get kicked off the property because he was trespassing.

 

I also wonder if Jesus would hang out with Doug Ford and Dr. Moore debating health care policy like he did with the Pharisees in the Temple, only to get kicked out of that setting because he dared to turn over the tables of Universal Basic Income and ODSP.

 

I also wonder what Jesus would try and teach us when he shows up in our little sanctuary on Sunday; and would we ask him questions like “who is our neighbour?” and “when, Lord, when did we see you?”  Would we be able to hear from Jesus exactly who the ‘least of these’ are in our society when we are feeling tired, a little put upon and a little at a loss for how to serve in the middle of the Apocalypse of our own creation.

 

Our faith stories tell us that we are the image bearers of God. Our faith stories tell us that we are to be ‘like’ Jesus; to look like Jesus, to act like Jesus.

 

Because we believe that are the image bearers of God, our actions and our ‘outlook’ on life reflects God back to our world that seems to be imploding.  Because we believe that we are image bearers of God we are called to respond to what we see around with God’s character.  What do we know about the character of God?  Well – the God I serve loves Creation.  The God I serve loves Justice and Mercy.  The God I serve truly believes that we are equal, and are deserving of equity.  The God I serve tells me that we are committing ourselves, as God’s image bearers to be a people who don’t shrug their shoulders and shake their heads, like I have been, out of hopelessness and helplessness, but instead be in the business of Creating, of Loving and of Building up, rather than destruction, hatred and letting things erode and fall away.

 

I don’t know about you, but sometimes being an image bearer of God is a little daunting.  But, we’ve got this my friends.  We’ve got what it takes to turn things around – to start to turn things around maybe.  We’ve got what it what it takes to be ‘like’ Jesus.

 

And as we work to Creating rather than destroying – well – I believe that God sees this and calls it Good.

Blessings today, and remember you are Loved.

~Rev. Lynne

 

PS:  Today’s pic is of the mirror in the hall – you know “image bearer” (Lol I crack myself up!)