Image of God and Disability – God let’s talk?

Aren’t you so taken with the gift of being made in the image of God? I am. But what does that mean? If you are a believer then that is a fact … wow, mind blown. If you are a seeker, or still just curious about God, don’t worry I only ask you to “shop” the idea by trying it on without any commitment and imagine how wonderful it would be if true.

As you read this, know that you and your child (sibling, parent, friend) are made in the image of God. This is important to embrace and understand that God began the Bible with that very truth

Genesis 1:27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them. …

God didn’t say the “perfect” were made in this image. He definitely didn’t adopt and say that man’s standard of beauty and perfection was made in His image. Nowhere does man himself get to define the image of God. In fact the Bible points out the exact opposite:

Acts 17:29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is 
like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill.”

God’s word said He created mankind in His image. Not a select few “perfect” beings from certain countries or races. Not a select few that are tall or short, walking or sitting, speaking or silent. He created believers and non-believers, man and woman, young and old, … those that have the breath of life (Genesis 2:7) … all mankind were made in God’s own image. For Followers of Christ we know that we were created in the image of Jesus Christ for the glory of God.

Colossians 1:14-16 – ¹⁵“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶ For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.”

What does that mean to you? Personally I have to challenge my understanding about being made in God’s image and how these understandings are shaped by my own bias? How much do my life experiences and my understanding of God influence my interpretation and what did God actually say through the Bible? Challenge yourself by asking am I working from of my own definition or that of others? This is the first question I want to wrestle with and discuss with other women, and especially directly with God.

So if just by being human you learn from experience, modeling from others as you live. You start as a baby, fully unable to function in life without being dependent on others. Is that not the first encounter we all share with being not-abled or ~~dis~~abled? Born we are unable to feed ourselves, regulate warmth or cold, protect and defend, walk or communicate with others beside the cooing or crying of our needs. We all start from there, even our Lord Jesus started his time as human as an infant and thus not-able to function independently;

Luke 2:7- and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son [Jesus].

So if we all start out in a state of being ~~dis~~abled, and throughout life we will again have encounters with some degree of that experience whether through birth or aging, disease, accidents or torture, … in those moments are we still not in the Image of God? As we come up to the celebration of Easter ask yourself, did Jesus stop being in the image of God? At the moment of his triumph when he was disabled on the cross Jesus was still unblemished and without sin. Would a loving God withdraw his truth because we are born or become “~~dis~~abled”? Certainly not my loving sovereign God who is absolute and doesn’t make mistakes.

Consider reading Psalm 18:30, Matthew 5:48, Malachi 3:6, Isaiah 46:9-10, Hebrews 12:2

So God, time for a chat. There are two questions before us at the start. What does it mean to be in the image of God, and second what is the definition of disability? Let’s start with the second one first to get a common perspective (and face it – so much easier).

If history is defined by the victors, then it is easily understood that disability is defined by culture, the era or time in history, and by the community over time. It is a dynamic and ever changing definition. Just think my mom who is still living was defined as disabled by being left-handed as is Oprah Winfrey. My mom had her left hand bound behind her back to force her to use her right hand to “cure or correct” her disability. We are talking recent times that this ridiculous understanding defined in our culture as disabled.

Looking across the world through all mankind there are different understandings of disabilities, cast your mind to Western Europe, to the mountain indigenous people of Panama, to East Asia. All very different perspectives. The United States and the World Health Organization only recently (1980s-1995) formalized for policy, efficiency and medical terms “disability”, but that doesn’t include social or cultural perspectives. Consider Panama City, Panama where my parent’s lived and adopted two boys from the indigenous Guaymi Indian tribe. The boys and their Guaymi family prayed for my family’s disability of having light blue eyes. True, they felt I was disabled and could only see black and white because the color of my eyes! Shift your thinking to some East Asian women that to this day bind their feet for beauty and class standing, intentionally causing deformity and becoming disabled to walk. What are we taking from our own history and experience that is a man’s definition of disability?

Note: Here for the first time I am asking for you to write back to me and the women engaged with this blog. We want to hear your life experiences that have brought you to your current definition of disability. Look at what bias we all may be filtering as we read the Bible and converse with God. Once we look at that, we can go back and ask the question about the image of God.

Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Assignment: Take some time and consider what was/is your personal definition of disability that you learned growing up? What beliefs you might need to renew in your minds? Please use the comment section below so that we can learn from you. Beloved sisters I can’t wait to hear and grow from you!

g’s answer: (To get us started each week I’ll provide my answer to get your thoughts flowing.) Gosh, Answering this I realize I was warped growing up. Not unlike others my family approach was “don’t be rude”, and “don’t stare”, and basically ignore any differences you see so not to be uncomfortable or cause anyone discomfort. So I was unconsciously taught to marginalize those who are different. Stay away, give them their own space and don’t invite them into ours. Now funny enough that is not the warped part, the warped part was also completely unintentional. I am a proud military brat having lived all over the world in Army Posts, moving about every year of my life growing up. What I didn’t realize until I was an adult was the model of what life looked like was surreal. If you remember the classic 1998 movie “Pleasantville” or the 1976 “Logan’s Run” you understand. Everywhere I lived was dominated by healthy young people (male’s in their prime, some with families). You see the oldest person on Post was the Colonel or sometimes a General, so we are saying no-one on Post older than 40’s or late 50’s in age. All which had to pass a physical exam which included an ideal weight range, physical condition and of course my favorite memory the ability to do distance running while chanting or singing. Thought to be intellectually sound and physically ideal, a solider that is injured and unable to perform was honorably discharged and left my sphere not to be seen again. So I don’t remember any seniors, anyone with disability (no wheelchairs). The family kids at the right age all left for college or moved off Post. My definition of what human’s should be was almost parallel to the Greek version of the perfect body – “life at the prime before decay and aging”. My parent’s even took me off Post to visit a senior citizen’s home to expose me to compassion, but it only proved that they are marginalized or instituted outside daily routines. That is warped! So needless to say I had and still have some bias to overcome before I understand the image of God.

Prayer:

Oh God, Father of Humankind we need a heart to heart talk with you. Thank you for your Word [Bible] and for wanting us to challenge our perspectives that we use to filter your Word. Please Lord help me recognize my bias and my past experiences to understand you more and all that you promise. Your truths are beyond comprehension, but I know that you give glimpses and evidence all around us. Allow me, and those I love, Father to work through and ask the hard questions and to rest in you. What a gift that you are accessible and wanting a relationship with all of us. One last thing, thank you for being the author of humor and laughter, because without it life is not fun, and with it we have a safe and gentle way to review the past and for me personally to see my “warpedness”! Until next week with more questions I’m in awe of you, Amen

Just Some Additional Bible References:

2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

Colossians 3:9-11 ⁹Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ¹⁰and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. ¹¹Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

Image of God

Genesis 1:27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Acts 17:29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill.

Mark 12:17 ¹⁷Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”

Romans 1:23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

Romans 8:29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

Colossians 1:14-16 ¹⁵The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.

2 Corinthians 4:4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Hebrews 12:2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.