March 21, 2007
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RANDOM THOUGHTS: Respecting the image of God in others….protecting the image of God in ourselves.
I am reading a book…..which I will divulge the title of later….. (
) ……but, meanwhile, I want to share these thoughts from it’s pages…. as it has really been on my mind lately:How we treat God’s creation (people, our world…everything), reflects how we feel about the creator…..God. When we mistreat, objectify, neglect people, or treat them less than human….these actions are against God. A church exist to be a display of this “new” humanity…..a community of people who honor and respect the poor and rich,…..educated and uneducated…..Jew and Gentile…..black and white….old and young…powerful and helpless……as fully human, created in the image of God.
When we respect the image of God in others…we protect the image of God in us. When Jesus speaks of loving our neighbor, it isn’t just for our neighbor’s sake. If we don’t love our neighbor….something happens to us.
And in trying to protect the image of God in them, we just might be protecting the image of God in ourselves in the process. Because with every decision, gesture, comment, action, and attitude….we’re inviting heaven or hell to earth.
If anyone would like to take a stab at the name of the book or author… feel free
What are your thoughts?
Comments (14)
Hi Jan! I think I may know the author (first name starts with an R, last name with a B?). But….I’m one of those kid’s in school that sits on the answer and let’s one of the other student’s go out on a limb with a guess, first. I just want to say thank you for living a life that reflects God’s grace in just such a way that this author is speaking of. Whenever, I have spoken with you or read your blogs or comments you always generously extend such respect and honor and graciousness. Through some of my most recent struggles, I have been so encouraged by your gestures of grace. Thank you for being obedient to share God’s unconditional love with so many, including me! You are a blessing!
Reminds me of a section I read in Al Gore’s book on the environment ,”Earth in the Balance”, in which he addressed the issue of our faith and the consequences of that on our responsibilities in this area. I thin Rick Warren has recently had an opinion on this, but don’t know of his authorship of a book, pe se.
good to see you on, Jan.
blessings…jim
“thinK”, and “peR se”, of course…( as Quick Draw McGraw would say…I’LL do the thinnin’ around her, Baba Louie!”)
good to see you back Jan!
Since none of our righteousness is our own, but mirror Him, when we are associated with Him, our treatment of others are reflective of Him to others by default.(almost a attribution by association) Our actions are never limited to our own constricts, however much we would like them to be. John
lipSticK
ryc Christi (CPurely): Thank you for the kind comments
You are correct, the author’s initial;s ar R.B. It’s funny, on the way home from Grace and Grits last night (I will be posting about that probably today), I was thinking of you and how I missed hearing your voice sing and watchinh your heart worship. You always inspire me 
You and your family are always in my prayers (as you ar a part of our family). God bless you!
ryc Jim: I would like to read Al Gore’s book. I believe that there is a definate faith component to the treatment of the earth and our surroundings (God’s creation). Thank you for stopping by for a visit
God bless!
ryc uprisingyouth: It’s good to be back. I have missed the many conversations we share here on xanga (though I have been reading, I just have been too swamped to post). I agree very much, “our treatment of others are reflective of Him to others“. It’s almost like our children….their treatment of their surroundings, other people and possessions are reflective of our treatment, as parents, of them. This is maybe slightly different…but in many respects the same
God bless!
ryc uprisingyouth: What’s “lipSticK” ?
I don’t know, but in an effort to find out, I see that these words are commonly plagiarized (not quoited but plagiarized). That made it work, and so I will wait for you to tell me.
ryc trunthepaige: I will be interested to hear where they are plagiarized from
The author is Rob Bell and the book is “Sex God”. Before anyone get’s crazy here, the book is not what you would initially think (from the title), but is an exceptional spiritually insightful book. Below is a review:
“Bell raises the bar with this evocative follow-up to last year’s bestseller Velvet Elvis….Bell’s book isn’t a sex manual, an exploration of the differences between men and women, or a marriage how-to, though all of that is here. Instead, it’s the story of God becoming human, of humans mirroring God, and love made manifest in the messiness of our humanity. Sex God is about relationships revealed in a way that elevates the human condition and offers hope to those whose relationships are wounded. In Bell’s spare, somewhat oblique style, he addresses lust, respect, denial, risk, acceptance, and more. His love for God and the Bible is clear, as is his ability to ask probing questions and offer answers that make readers think deeply about their own lives. He does a fine job using the Bible and real life to show that our physical relationships are really about spiritual relationships. This book joyfully ties, and then tightens, the knot between God and humankind. – Publishers Weekly
God bless
I have been hearing so much about that book. Will have to order it as I enjoyed his Nooma dvd’s. Hello from South Africa.
a chapter in sex god
ryc reformedville: You got it
I knew it!!! I have not read the book but it sounded very Rob Bellish. Thanks for praying for us and for your kind comments. A true blessing, as always!
Yes i found more than one site using the quote without saying that it was not theirs.
I also found “Sex God” but by then I did not know what one was original and I had little time o look into it