Tselem: We Are God's Positive Image Bearers
Daily Scripture
Genesis 1:26-27
26 Then God said, “Let us make humanity in our image to resemble us so that they may take charge of the fish of the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and all the crawling things on earth.”
27 God created humanity in God’s own image,
in the divine image God created them [Heb has singular him, referring to humanity],
male and female God created them.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
Rabbi Michael Zedek, author of Taking Miracles Seriously, preached at Resurrection on September 7. In this week’s GPS, we read and reflect on six Scriptural passages that Rabbi Zedek spoke to specifically in his excellent book.
Rabbi Zedek read an Isaac Asimov article that said, in effect, “The Bible says God created the world in six days, but that’s nonsense. Anyone who takes the Bible seriously is a fool.” Zedek said, “I take the Bible very seriously, but I don’t think the world literally came to be in six days. Further, I consider myself far more a seeker than a fool…. One need not judge the story of the world’s creation in seven days as fact to find transcendent value in it…. It is my conviction that the Hebrew Bible employs the story form not to convey facts but to express values.” *
- Zedek dug deeper into Genesis 1’s message: “The Bible’s creation account provides an awesome notion about human beings. It intends to apply to everyone, not just to one distinct tribe or community or gender…. The controlling word is “Tselem,” which may be translated as image. But in its most common usage, Tselem is a synonym for an idol…. The only time the word is used positively is in describing humanity.” ** What does it say about your value that you bear God’s image?
- Regular Insights contributor Dr. Amy Oden showed how Christian faith has the same roots as Rabbi Zedek’s. “This is the teaching of the Incarnation, God with us; this very present God active in all creation, in all human life…. As Christians, we believe that humans are bodies, souls, and minds all bound up in one whole together. We are not dualists.” *** How might you live differently this week if you truly believed that God’s presence is active in all your daily interactions?
Prayer
God of creation, help me learn to take seriously your image in me and in all those with whom I come in contact. Keep me mindful of the awesome meaning of bearing your image every day. Amen.
GPS Insights
Katy Nall
Katy Nall, who serves as the Program Director of Missions for Resurrection West, wrote today's Insights. She is a mom of two and loves to be outside in the sunshine, especially if it involves mountains or ocean. She loves hiking, reading, learning, and connecting.
For many people, the stories in Genesis (and let’s be honest—the entire Old Testament) raise some difficult questions. How do we reconcile “six days of creation” with what science tells us about a universe that is billions of years old? Many of us were taught that if you don’t take the Bible literally, you can’t take it seriously. That if we leave room for interpretation in one place, we might as well toss the whole thing, because who are we to try to interpret the word of God?
But what if that’s not the choice at all? Rabbi Zedek reminds us that the creation story wasn’t written as a science textbook. It was written to proclaim something far more important: that behind the universe there is a loving Creator, and that every human being bears God’s image! When we stop treating these stories as scientific accounts and instead see them as theological poetry, the text opens up instead of closing down.
That shift has major consequences! If Genesis 1 is about our value rather than literal timelines, then that means every single person you meet—regardless of where they are from, their ability, or even their likability—carries the imprint of God. The coworker who frustrates you, the neighbor whose political signs make you want to move, the stranger on the corner asking for help—they are image bearers. So, the question isn’t, “Did creation really happen in six days?” The question is, “How does this story call me to live my life today to reflect my loving Creator?” When we begin to answer that, we start to take the Bible more seriously than ever.
God, help us remember today that in every face we see, we are seeing YOU!
© 2026 Resurrection: A United Methodist Church. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* Zedek, Michael, Taking Miracles Seriously: A Journey to Everyday Spirituality (pp. 56, 59). Sutherland House Books. Kindle Edition.
** Ibid., p. 60.
*** Oden, Amy G., Right Here Right Now: The Practice of Christian Mindfulness (p. 12). Abingdon Press. Kindle Edition.
