of soul searching...

i do think that most of us are compelled to find out who we truly are..
i remember the story of how God created man and women in his image and likeness...
literally i decided to form this collage in my mind, of how God would look like if humans were created in his image and likeness...

so i began with a passport sized mental photo of myself. a dark tan skinny sinhalese guy. then i added a chinese guy next to me, and then a malay girl next to him and then an african, and then a caucasian, and then....the list goes on and on and on.

it was a brave attempt, but i failed in creating this image of God, because realistically i would need to put in all the faces of everyone on earth if i were to construct the image of God. which would also mean that this reconstructed image would not be God's real face...

imagery, does not need to be face does it? the narrative for the creation story was so beautiful. and suddenly out all the things God created and saw as good, he capped humans as those created in his image and likeness.

what is his image and likeness? is it the answer to our quest for identity? Note that God does not call us creatures or animals. this image and likeness is a posture that bends towards character, attitude and value.

when a small girl leads a blind man across the street, thats in his image and likeness. when a young boy gives up his chair for a pregnant lady, thats in his image and likeness. when a friend avails himself to assist a needy friend at 3.30 in the morning, thats in his image and likeness. that is the posture that fits in this concept, and surprisingly there is a bit of all that whether we are chinese, indian, sinhalese, malay or just pure 'rojak'.

imagine if you were to buy darwin's theory of evolution. it reduces you to an animal, someone with a system to hunt, breed and probably show a little kindness. but in respect to that, we are more valuable than an animal.

the image of God than should be how much we view others, despite their flaws and shortcomings; how we treat them with dignity and as human beings. and it also means how do we treat ourselves and view ourselves. what governs us is our worldview, but if your wordview compromises others and the right of the others, it will also compromise you. how ironic? that when we do unto others, we also do unto ourselves....

-vadai-