Imago Dei and Broken
There are both/ands behind every bush! They’re often hard to spot without some investigation. Some folks claim to see a devil behind every bush, giving the enemy of our soul credit for things that are caused by our own sin or simply the brokenness of the world. Other folks criticize people for seeing a devil behind every bush, not taking seriously enough an enemy who Jesus took seriously. But unlike the enemy, who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy, Biblical both/and’s bring life and healing! Here’s the latest…
Last week my beloved bride and I attended Potter’s Wheel 2. For those in the Tucson area, if you’re unfamiliar with Potter’s Wheel, that is a fixable problem! Developed by the esteemed John Cepin and his dear late wife Patti, Potter’s Wheel helps us identify what’s beneath the surface in areas of recurring pain in our lives. AND, it simultaneously trains participants to skillfully guide others in this journey of soul care, helping them discover sin patterns in their own lives. David Gainey (of Oasis Church) is now one of the Potter’s Wheel guides here in Tucson, and while my wife and I participated in Potter’s Wheel 1 under John and Patti, we had the opportunity to experience Potter's Wheel 2 last week under David’s outstanding guidance.
Here’s the both/and worth exploring: every human being is created in the image of God, AND every human being is skilled at finding ways to make life work without the Creator. Martin Luther called this phenomenon “simultaneously saint and sinner.” Whether we claim Jesus as Lord and Savior or not, this both/and remains true. I’ve found it helpful to distinguish between the two uses of the phrase “child of God” in the Bible: all are children of God by creation; some are children of God by redemption.
We are both created uniquely in the image of God, and rebelling in creative and often disguised ways. When we turn this both/and into an either/or, we fall into one of two ditches. One is that we minimize the impact of sin and mute the call to repentance. The other ditch is that we become harsh and judgmental, sometimes toward ourselves, and sometimes toward others. Neither ditch is the way of Christ. The Jesus way looks like, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (read the story in John 8). The Jesus way is reflected in Jesus praying for Peter before he denied Jesus three times, and restoring him afterwards (Luke 22:31-34 and John 21:15-19). Both Judas and Peter denied Jesus at His point of greatest need. Judas took the either/or path that led to death; Peter took the both/and path that led to life.
A significant part of Potter’s Wheel helps us look at the damage we received in childhood, even if it was from relatively healthy parents who still lived outside the Garden. In other words, well-meaning parents can say something true and good and Satan can twist it in damaging ways. We learn coping strategies that may have served a useful purpose at the time, but are part of the “childish ways” that we need to mature out of as we grow (1 Corinthians 13:11). We all have long-standing entrenched ways of managing life on our own apart from God. Jesus loves us enough to open up the way to repentance, so that we learn to live life more like our Creator intended.
In the truly remarkable devotional Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, yesterday’s entry included this beautiful both/and rendering of that truth: Jesus says, “Allow the Light of My healing Presence to shine into the deepest recesses of your being - cleansing, healing, refreshing, and renewing you.” There’s junk in that wound that needs to get cleaned out. And it can be done from a foundation of love and grace rather than guilt and shame.
Have a both/and day!
