What does this story tell us about who God is?
And about what it is to be in His image?

3. How do we know, for example, that God has in mind not only the human species as a whole, but each individual person?  How do we know that His concern is not only for the health and welfare of the "zoo of humanity," but also for each individual human person?

4. Because, in the Scriptures, we read that God revealed Himself to very particular people in order to enter into a relationship with that person, to help and save that person, and to address the needs of that person.

5. In the Old Testament, for example, we see God revealing Himself and entering into a relationship with, for example, a relatively poor, childless wandering nomadic tribesman by the name of Abram (Abraham).

6. Because Abram puts his faith in God, God not only gives this poor, childless nomad a biological son, but He makes into the "father of a great nation."  Now, are we all descended from Abram biologically or genetically, in the way we might be from our first parents?  No.  But St. Paul tells us (in Gal 4 and Rom 3) that Abraham is our "father in faith"; our father, that is, in accepting with his whole being, that infinite communion with our Creator.  After the fall of our first parents, therefore, there is a new beginning, a beginning founded in faith and trust and love, that happens with Abraham.

7. But there is more.  God not only addresses individuals, God also calls us together to be His "people" (which makes sense if the goal is communion with both God and neighbor).  We are not disassociated individuals: we are a meant to be a community of persons. 

8. God is a "liberator":

9. The Law and "liberation":  God reveals Himself -- that is, He shares His wisdom and love -- in and through the Law.

13. Take, for example, creation.  We said that God reveals His wisdom and love (that is, He reveals Himself) to us in and through creation.

14. Recall that, according to the beginning of the Gospel of John, the same Word who "in the beginning" created the world is the same Word that became flesh in Jesus Christ. 

15. Think about it, though: it is possible, after all, to look at nature and think that perhaps it was made by an angry or vengeful or capricious god or gods.  It is possible to think that the gods made the world and made mankind just to serve them (to make their lives easier and to have the pleasure of lording it over us) and that our job in life is basically to placate these angry, capricious deities.  This is a common view of the gods.

16. If, however, we thought that the God who became incarnate, lived among us and was willing to die for us was the same God who created the entire universe, what would that tell us (or at least reassure us) about the world?  Would it not tell us that He is not flighty, whimsical, angry, jealous, out of control, power-hoarding; rather, He is loving and sacrificing. God made the universe, not for Himself, but for us.  Why did God create the world?  He made it to enter into a relationship of love with us.

17. Secondly, we said that God reveals Himself to us, from the time of our first parents, in even more profound ways, to each individual.

18. Yes, God does reveal Himself to each one of us.  But if you think that what "God" is about is hatred, vengeance, power, lordliness, pre-eminence, always victorious, then what kind of relationship will you have with Him?  If you understood from the story of Jesus that God is trying to show us that He is primarily love, and that loving -- entering into the communion of love -- is the way for us to become "like God" and to live life to the fullest, then your relationship with God would be quite different.

19. Thirdly, we said that God reveals His wisdom and love to us in and through the the Law.  Yes, God does reveal His love (Himself) to us in and through the law.  He means it for our good.  He gives it out of love so that we can love (and live) more perfectly.  And yet it is certainly possible to look upon the law as a burden, as a big kill-joy, given by a God who is, as an English school child once wrote: "always looking around to see if anyone is having a good time, and then putting a stop to it."  But what if you thought that the God who gave us the law was in fact the same God who died for us?  Then how would you view the law?

20. Finally, as we mentioned, some people believe that God's love is revealed most fully, most intimately, most clearly in Jesus and in what Jesus did:  namely, that He was willing to die for sinners, so that they might be forgiven, changed, and reconciled with God. Thus God's love surpasses even death -- even a death from horrible torture.  That's how great His love is.  It can't die, and ultimately we can't kill it, even by our sin.  Although, and this is important, we can say "no" to it.

21. And finally, what about God in History?