 | The Reverend Doctor Cathy Northrup was born in Ft. Meade, MD, and was raised in a variety of places in the United State and Germany, as her father was in Counter Intelligence with the Army. She graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Hamline University in St. Paul, MN, with a double major in English and Religion. She graduated from Georgetown Law Center in Washington, DC, and practiced law with the Federal Reserve Board for a number of years before attending Union Theological Seminaryin Richmond, VA. She graduated from Union, and served several churches in North and South Carolina, at the same time obtaining her Doctor of Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, NJ. Dr. Northrup is currently the Pastor/Head of Staff of First Presbyterian Church, Wichita, KS. She is married and has two black Labrador dogs who were rescued from abusive situations. You can contact Dr. Northrup at cnorthrup@firstpresbywichita.org or by phone at (316) 263-0248, ext. 26. |
Religion
2009-05-01 11:45:00
Are we supposed to look like God?
Question: We are said to have been made in the image and likeness of God. Does this mean that, if we were to see God, he would resemble a human being? Or, does it mean our immortal soul is in his image and likeness?
Answer: The question of what “the image of God” means has been debated by theologians for a long, long time. Various explanations have been offered, one of which is that, as you suggested, we look like God physically. Because the Bible tells us that God is Spirit, we know this cannot be true, however. Another explanation is also what you suggested, that our soul is in his likeness. We know, though, that as creatures, even before the fall, we are very distinct from God, so that explanation is problematic.
I believe that the most likely meaning of “image of God” is that we were made both to “reflect” God and to be God’s “stewards” on earth. An image is like a reflection in a mirror; that we are made in God’s image means we are to seek to live like him. Jesus Christ came to earth to show us what that image would look like. Also, historically, when kings could not physically be in all the places they ruled, they put images or statues of themselves in those places to signify their rule. Perhaps we are something like that for God. God, of course, is ever present, but not present physically, so he put us here to be his stewards and to show his love. This is a high calling for us, to seek to reflect God and to be his stewards. It is only through the gift of God’s Spirit that we can begin to fulfill this calling.
