I just thought ...

Made in the image of God – marriage, right relationships and growing in community.

Here is a remarkable commentary on Mark 10 2-9 – a passage on divorce which is daunting (to say the least!) for the preacher! It comes from the Lectionary Blog of Sarah Dylan Breuer of The Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

I shouldn’t even begin to try and summarise it – you have to read the whole piece! It deals with marriage and human sexuality, as well as relationships (in the particular and more general sense.) It is a glorious affirmation of the truth that all people are made in God’s image!

Here are some highlights which particularly struck me:


"'It is not good that the human should be alone'(Genesis 2:18).

God creates us for community. To become more fully who we are, who God made us to be, we need to walk alongside another who will be with us for the long haul, who sees us at our best and our worst and will tell us the truth about both, who knows us deeply and loves us unconditionally."


"With people made in God's image and created for self-giving love, that's an amazing experience of God's glory, God's creativity, and God's goodness."


"A relationship between two people that helps both live more fully in the world their identity and vocation as human beings made in God's image is blessed by God."


Sarah characterises this passage of Scripture as a profoundly liberating and challenging word from Jesus. She explains that it challenges our culture’s idolatry of romance and sexual attraction, pairing up and parenthood. It is a call to affirm singleness, as well as marriage.

She says that to take up the challenges of Jesus releases the potential to set us free for authentic right relationship with one another – each loved uniquely as God's child, each challenged and supported to grow in community.

Wow!! Go on – read the whole commentary here!

Labels: Theology

posted by Chris @ 5:17 pm