Saturday, September 27, 2008

One More

You know a book is good when it speaks some old truth in a huge new way every time you read it:

"The writer of Genesis makes it clear that in all of creation there is something different about humans. They aren't God, and they aren't going to become God, but in some distinct, intentional way, something of God has been placed in them. We reflect what God is like and who God is. A divine spark resides in every single human being.

Everybody, everywhere. Bearers of the divine image."

And then the authors commentary in the back of the book continues the thought with this story:

"Recently I saw my friend Josh, who teaches fifth and sixth graders. He was preparing the lesson for that day and had hsi supplies with him: a large glass bowl, a can of beef, fatty tissue, sauerkraut, a jar of olives, some anchovies, and a hundred-dollar bill. I know- I was curious too. So i did exactly what you would have done. I asked him what his lesson was about. He replied, 'I put all of the ingredients in a bowl, including the money, and then I mix it together. Then when it doesn't taste good, I pretend I'm going to throw it away. At this point the kids go crazy, telling me not to. I ask them why I shouldn't, and they say, 'Because it's valuable.' And then I counter with, 'But it smells and it's disgusting.' At which point they rush to the front, volunteering to reach into the bowl and pull out the hundred-dollar bill. Actually, I may have to start using a twenty for this lesson, becuase the last time I used a hundred, they trampled each other to get to the front. I then read to them from Genesis chapter one about how every single human being bears the image of God and how no matter what else is mixed there, a person still has limitless worth in God's eyes."

I want to meet Josh. 

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