In the Image of God
Lydia Mulkey
October 19, 2021
On Sunday, our church school parents had a session on raising faithful LGBTQ+ kids and allies. Our speaker talked about how the most important thing we can do is to talk with children about how our differences are little glimpses of who God is, because we are all made in the image of God. When children point out, “that person is short,” “that person has wild hair,” “that boy likes dresses,” “that person has dark skin,” “that person has a very quiet voice,” “that person uses a wheelchair,” and on and on, that is wonderful! If everyone is made in the image of God, that must mean that God is a little bit like that too. How wonderful of God to show us so much of who God is by making each of us a unique reflection of something divine.
That made me think about this poem, Jesus at the Gay Bar. The poem went viral on social media. It is based on Mark 5:25-34. I think it can speak to sexual orientation and to all of the things that we may think need to be healed, but that are actually just a part of the way God designed us. We pray away our funny shaped noses, the size of our bodies, our nasal laugh, our too trusting nature, or, tragically, our sexual orientation or gender identity. All the while, God is saying “I need you to show this part of me to the world!”
Beloved one, thank you for being a unique reflection of God among us!
