"And the Gods took counsel among themselves and said: Let us go down and form man in our image, after our likeness; and we will give them dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
So the Gods went down to organize man in their own image, in the image of the Gods to form they him, male and female to form they them."
Abraham 4:26-27
I like the version of the creation story that is in Abraham because it illustrates some things that you don't always see in other versions. One of them is the idea that the creation was a group effort. The idea that God works with other people I think works really well with the idea of building Zion, taking care of each other, and finding joy in a community of Faith. God doesn't do everything alone, and he doesn't expect us to either. I mean, of course, we need to stand up for the right things and not let others drag us down into sin, but having people that love and support us and who pool their ideas with ours so that we can make better decisions... these are good things, and I am glad that we have an example of God working with others to accomplish his will.
I also really like the fact that it makes clear that being in the "image of God" is not only a guy thing, but that we are all in the image of God as humans, and that God in the plural, or the people working to help God in the creation... they weren't all men, they weren't all the same, and that the image of God includes diversity and difference in external appearance. Although of course God is united in his work, glory, and purpose. that doesn't mean that people striving to follow God or become like him have to be cookie cutters, or stepford wives, or androids. We need to abandon sin, but we don't have to abandon self. :)
So, maybe these things aren't that big of a deal all the time... we already trusted that God makes everything right, and that he loves us and causes all things to work together for our good. But sometimes it is good to look at details like this just so that we know what kinds of ideals we are striving for. Today, let's not get off track and expect every one of God's followers to be the same, or to face and overcome challenges utterly alone. We need each other, and our personalities and different ways of looking at things are valuable to God. Let's learn from each other, and love each other, as we strive to become more like God, and join in his work.
So the Gods went down to organize man in their own image, in the image of the Gods to form they him, male and female to form they them."
Abraham 4:26-27
I like the version of the creation story that is in Abraham because it illustrates some things that you don't always see in other versions. One of them is the idea that the creation was a group effort. The idea that God works with other people I think works really well with the idea of building Zion, taking care of each other, and finding joy in a community of Faith. God doesn't do everything alone, and he doesn't expect us to either. I mean, of course, we need to stand up for the right things and not let others drag us down into sin, but having people that love and support us and who pool their ideas with ours so that we can make better decisions... these are good things, and I am glad that we have an example of God working with others to accomplish his will.
I also really like the fact that it makes clear that being in the "image of God" is not only a guy thing, but that we are all in the image of God as humans, and that God in the plural, or the people working to help God in the creation... they weren't all men, they weren't all the same, and that the image of God includes diversity and difference in external appearance. Although of course God is united in his work, glory, and purpose. that doesn't mean that people striving to follow God or become like him have to be cookie cutters, or stepford wives, or androids. We need to abandon sin, but we don't have to abandon self. :)
So, maybe these things aren't that big of a deal all the time... we already trusted that God makes everything right, and that he loves us and causes all things to work together for our good. But sometimes it is good to look at details like this just so that we know what kinds of ideals we are striving for. Today, let's not get off track and expect every one of God's followers to be the same, or to face and overcome challenges utterly alone. We need each other, and our personalities and different ways of looking at things are valuable to God. Let's learn from each other, and love each other, as we strive to become more like God, and join in his work.
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