when we make something in our image

I have been writing quite a bit about how we know what is true. At the core of finding truth is the degree that we shape the truth about the object based on some image we have of it OR do we accurately receive the image of the object as revealed to us by the object's originator. You may be amazed at how prevalent this issue is in our experiences. I will use two examples that have my attention these days to illustrate what is worth some pondering time .....

We are in the heat of the battle of a Presidential election. The most common view of what is going on is that the campaign is awful. Out of 350 million people, this is the best we can do. The accusations are nasty and the candidates are divisive. The battle is on to make our country into the image of the parties vying for power.


It has been encouraging for me to revisit the politics of our founding fathers. We had many of the same things going on over 200 years ago. The opposing parties had similar vitriol for each other. In fact, they had duels to the death. We are split over the same issues of government, and pretty much equally. We have regional divisions as they did. Often we are close to the whole thing falling apart. Fortunately, in creating this country, the founding fathers were able to forge out an instrument that would provide an objective arbitrator to man's ambitions to have it their way. Even before we had the first President, people were trying to make this country into their image, ignoring the truth established by those who faithfully created our country. Truth about a democratic republic was written into our very existence by its originator for the protection of the virtues on which our country was founded.

On a more personal note, I am pursuing membership in a different church. I very much like some qualities of this church. I take notes during the sermon. I appreciate the organizational dynamics and see leadership as quite effective. There's just one glitch.

This church does not accept my infant baptism as a criteria for membership. Without going into all the details, man has created a requirement for membership in a church that exceeds what is required to be a member of God's Kingdom. The founding fathers of the local church wrote into their Constitution what they believed should be true about the church. In doing so, they made their church in their image. When the church is made in man's image, it becomes legalistic and looks no different than other institutions in our world.

With our country and with our churches, when humans make an object in their own image, they subordinate the beauty envisioned by the intent of the object's actual originator. 

But this point extends well beyond country and church, what about marriage, children, love, calling and careers, and on and on. Creating these objects that have been given to us by their originator is actually a bit of arrogance and pride. Humility is not a weak position, but the source of all blessing!!

We would do well when seeking truth to ponder the intent of the object's Creator more than making things the way we think they ought to be ....