Word to the Wise
Tuesday, February 10, 2015 - Tuesday in the 5th Week in Ordinary Time
[Gen 1:20—2:4a and Mark 7:1-13]"Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground." God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them. [Genesis]
FEBRUARY 10 ST. SCHOLASTICA, osb - virgin
These words from the Book of Genesis represent a very powerful moment . In whatever way God created the human being, whether from clay or other forms of life that God had created, the human being is made in the "image and likeness of God." We may not think that when we look at ourselves in the mirror or contemplate the latest violent outrage in human behavior, but we ARE made in the image and likeness of God. We may abuse the dominion that God has given to us through destructive greed which causes us to consume creation in order to make money, but we are still made in the image and likeness of God. We may destroy other humans in abortion, war and criminal violence, but we are still made in the image and likeness of God.
No other part of creation can make that claim, although creation can proclaim God's image and likeness. The stars, the ocean, the Grand Canyon, the majestic redwood giants - they all proclaim God's creative love and power. They do this in the face of human efforts to pollute the oceans and turn the redwoods into lumber -all in the name of the "dominion" we have been given. We humans are capable of such wonderful loves and discoveries because of the divine image and likeness, but we have a long way to go in living up to that potential. Genesis gives us much to reflect about. AMEN