A Thought For The Week Of June 23

"Then God said, 'Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness ...'" (Genesis 1:27a, NRSV) I've been reflecting this morning on what it means to be made in the image of God. It doesn't mean that we look like God, of course. I've always thought that being made in the image of God refers to human intelligence and creativity; to the ability of humans to shape and manipulate the environment around them. And, yes, I'm sure that's a part of it. But somehow this morning I started to think of something else while I was walking the dog. I'm of course aware of what many have noted - that "dog" is "God" spelled backwards. But surely dogs are not the opposite of God. In fact, I found myself thinking about the fact that while humans may be made in the image of God, dogs are actually (in some ways at least) a much better likeness of God than we are. I'm thinking here in terms of what seems to me (based on all the dogs I've known over the years) to be the nature of dogs to offer unconditional love and forgiveness and to defend those to whom they offer that love and forgiveness. And quite often dogs even offer those things to humans who don't treat them especially well. Really - isn't that what God does? God loves us and God forgives us - even though we have a tendency to take that love and forgiveness and thrown it back repeatedly in God's face, so to speak, almost daring God to lash out at times. If all of creation reveals God in some way (and I believe that what God has created tells us a lot about God, just as a painting tells us a lot about about the artist or a novel tells us a lot about the author) then surely dogs (and their loyalty and love) reveal that loving and forgiving nature of God, who never forsakes us, no matter what. Have a great week!