Imago Dei

October 24, 2017

He was showing me phone photos of his remodeling job, trying to explain the layout of his kitchen and dining/living room area. I got the general idea, but still couldn’t put it all together in my head. Over the course of the past year or two, he has shown me the progress he’s made in the landscaping, explaining how he had trees taken down and how he rebuilt and improved the fish pond out back. In the course of Sunday’s conversation, he mentioned that he had torn up the hardwood flooring in his living room because he wanted a different look. “It’s all going out to the curb tomorrow,” he told me.

His name is Bill; he’s our son’s father in law, and I’ve followed the progress of his remodeling ever since he bought the house a few years ago. But Sunday when he mentioned throwing out all the old hardwood flooring, I jumped on it. “If you’re only going to throw it out, I’ll take it,” I said. “We want to add a downstairs bedroom, and would love to get our hands on some old hardwood flooring.” 

“It’s yours,” Bill said, and I told him I would pick it up Tuesday when I came up his way to see my mom. His home is about a half hour beyond my mother, so it worked out just fine. When I arrived, Bill naturally wanted to show me around, and I was eager to see firsthand his handiwork. To say I was impressed would be a huge understatement. Bill is a craftsman, whether it be in his woodworking or his landscaping. He is meticulous, but even more importantly, he has the ability to picture in his mind the way things will look before he ever picks up a hammer or rake. He had shown me the “before” pictures, but it wasn’t until I actually stood in his living room and could see the whole project that I was able to appreciate his vision.

On the way home, it occurred to me that in his craftsmanship, Bill is reflecting in all its glory the image of God. For millennia, theologians have debated the exact nature of the Imago Dei, one speaking of conscience, another of morality, and still another of intellect. But I think one of the ways it is seen most clearly is in our ability to create, to mold and shape our world in beauty. Often enough, that creative ability is misused, but when someone envisions the way something wild and unkempt can be transformed into something beautiful, he is reflecting the Creator himself. So Bill, I saw in you the glory of God in your creativity, and am humbled and thankful to have seen it today.