This posting comes from She Answers Abraham, a weekly blog with reflections
by three women, a Jew, a Christian and a Muslim.
The Beginning
“And God said, ‘Let us make a human in our image,
according to our likeness….’” (Genesis 1:26)
Tziporah:
From an early age, children begin to ask “why” to
try to make sense of the world around them. Similarly, this verse inspires me
to ask “why is God speaking in the first person plural?” According to rabbinic
legend, God is addressing a heavenly court of angels, consulting with them about
whether the time to create humanity has arrived. I love the image of
God—almighty and above all creatures—asking permission to complete the work of
creation. According to Rashi’s commentary,[1] “the text teaches courtesy and
humility; the greater person should consult and ask permission from the lesser
person.” This lesson resonates for me: When we share in the process of
decision-making and treat each other with courtesy and respect, we elevate our
daily interactions to acts of holiness.
Grace:
I take delight in the rabbinic legend that
Tziporah recounts. This verse also raises a question for me: Just how do human
beings bear the image of God? If we do not view as literal the anthropomorphic
images of God popularized in Western art, how do we see our spirits as bearing
the imprint of God’s DNA? In what is often referred to as Jesus’ “high priestly
prayer,” Jesus prayed, “…that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in
me.”[2] Do we have the potential to be
in God and to see God in every human being? Definitely. Is this a Divine
calling? I think so.
Yasmina:
Indeed, humility and courtesy are virtues that
elevate the human rapport, and the idea of consultation[3] is innate to Islamic decision
making. However, Islam teaches that God is All Wise and All Knowing and
therefore does not seek council from anyone. One Quranic account of the creation
of man reads: “Behold! Thy Lord said to the angels: I am about to create man,
from sounding clay from mud molded into shape; when I have fashioned him in due
proportion and breathed into him of My spirit, fall ye down in obeisance to
him.” (15:29-30) God honors Adam by mentioning him to the angels before creating
him and by commanding the angels to prostrate to him. Although different from
the rabbinic legend, this narration leads to the same lesson of humility. If the
heavenly court was commanded to honor Adam, are we not—as sons of Adam—commanded
to honor each other and all God’s creatures? Undoubtedly, acting with humility
is one of the ways we honor God.
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