The likeness of God

 James 3:8-10

But no one can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so.

“Did God say…” the serpent whispered to the woman

sowing a seed of doubt and of mistrust

so that in every age, those born women 

have been doubted and viewed with suspicion

The whisper continues… denying the likeness of God

in all who are different 

an insidious toxin that worms its way into the fissures 

created by discrimination

Those soft whispers are amplified 

until they become voices raised in anger and hatred

The seeds they sow take root and flourish

until whole sections of community

are riven by discontent

that acts as kindling

for conflagrations of violence

And those who stand on the sidelines

are recruited to a cause

that sweeps up all in its path

to resist any who are different

Blinded to the likeness of God

that resides at the core of every human being

We who blithely share the poison

in humorous memes on our ‘influencer’ pages

continue to perpetrate the ‘othering’

by providing fuel for the fire of prejudice

And we who are silent 

fail to dampen the flame of intolerance

that denies our shared status: Beloved of God

How shall we raise our voices

from a whisper

to a thunderous roar

that asserts the wisdom of God

who created all in the likeness of God?

Liz Crumlish September 2024

Perhaps

 

North Shore, Iona

Perhaps

when we have sat on a beach in a storm

and contemplated the force of the wind

and the ferocity of the waves

we might have greater respect 

for those who risk their lives

taking to small boats in unpredictable weather 

to find safety

Perhaps

when we have meandered through the woods

or been awed by the stillness of the forest

noticing how life bursts through

in the least expected places

Or contemplated how ecology connects and communicates

with myriad species

we might learn to join their conversation

to ask before taking of the abundance we find

Perhaps

even in the midst of the concrete laden squares

of our towns and cities

we might notice the foxes raking through the bins

or the heron flying overhead

or the buzzard perched on the lamp post

eying the rats or the hatchlings, potential food for their young

we might wonder at how the animal world

takes what it needs to survive

knowing that, in time to come, they too, will return to the earth

Perhaps 

even the slightest nod to nature

that surrounds us in myriad ways

will still us and ground us sufficiently

and help us to contemplate the wonder

that everything belongs

and for any to flourish

all must flourish 

Perhaps

with eyes open and fists unclenched

the beating of our hearts may find connection

with the beating heart of all creation

compelling us to work together

for the healing of the earth

Liz Crumlish September 2024