The Beginning of Good News
Scripture Reading — Genesis 1:26-30
God created mankind in his own image. . . . God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it. . . .”
Good news begins right at the beginning. The good news found at the beginning of things in Genesis 1 is that there is a God who makes and upholds all that there is, and that we humans are made in the image of this amazing God.
We don’t look like God, of course, for God is Spirit—but this means, among other things, that we are God’s representatives. We are called to take care of all that God has made—and not just the creatures mentioned in these verses, but also the unfolding of all human history that follows, in all its complexity.
Amazing! Mere mortals are endowed with the dignity and honor of representing the infinite God, acting on God’s behalf to care for his creation with all its potential. We are God’s agents with a most prestigious job description. And this leads us, with joy and gratitude, to a profound sense of identity and calling.
This is good news for everyone, of course—but perhaps especially for people whose sense of identity and purpose are diminished, whose ability to live joyfully and fully are held back because of poverty or anything else that hinders their participation in life. Good news for the poor begins with a reminder that they bear God’s image.
Thank you, God, for creating us in your image and giving us life in your world. Help us to see your image in everyone we meet. Amen.
About the author — Roy Berkenbosch
Roy Berkenbosch is a minister who served with World Renew in several capacities and served as a pastor in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is also the founding director of the Micah Centre at The King’s University, Edmonton, Alberta. Now retired, he and his wife enjoy their small hobby farm.
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