Revisiting the Theme of Image
Hello Swamp Bloggers!
Welcome back to the blog! I hope you are enjoying your day today. :)
The past few weeks I have been posting about Swamp Corps trips and upcoming events for this Fall. It has been amazing to hear about all of the ways Camp Swamp is impacting people on a global scale! Today, however, I thought it would be encouraging to revisit the theme from this summer's Bible classes, the theme of "Image."
The Image of God
This summer at camp the theme of "Image" focused around what our image of God and ourselves is. The conclusion that came from the Bible classes was that God created us in his likeness, or in his image, and that that image is represented perfectly in Jesus, the one true image of God. In the Bible classes campers and teachers got to explore the idea of image and ask questions like:
- What is my image of God?
- What is God's image of me?
- Who is Jesus really?
- If Jesus was going to make a statement about how to live, what would he say?
- Is Jesus cool?
- Is Jesus an everyday Jesus?
These questions led to conversations about things like whether we are really following Jesus or whether we are following a list of do's and don'ts. The question was also brought up of whether we are image seekers or rather sin managers when it comes to following the Bible. This struck a cord with many campers who have grown up in the church all of their lives, always knowing how to adhere to "the rules" of the Bible, but never actually taking the time to understand who Jesus really is and why He teaches us to live righteously.
Takeaways from the Theme
The theme of image really was life-changing for many people at camp this summer. I know that for me it really changed my perspective on who Jesus is and why I strive to live like Him.
One of my biggest takeaways from camp this summer was that God made us in His image, and that Jesus is God's way of showing us how to return to that image. In fact, ever since Adam and Eve sinned, God has been working on a plan to bring us back to our original state and relationship with Him. He did that through Jesus, the exact representation of himself, who showed us how to live perfectly, in complete humility and compassion. And, the amazing fact is that everything we need to know about the image of God and how to become that image is written in the gospels.
Another one of my big takeaways from camp was that I can often be preoccupied with Lord and Savior Jesus, but much less with the man Jesus. He is most certainly Lord and Savior, but Jesus didn't come to Earth and immediately die on the cross for our sins. He showed us how to live first. He showed us how to be image seekers, instead of sin managers, by his heart and actions. He was and is the only perfectly balanced man who lived in the exact image of God.
Knowing this and studying this got me to the point of pure awe at some of Jesus's qualities. I love how He could feel the weight of the world, and yet He chose to be optimistic about mankind. I love how He didn't let anyone sway Him, but was firm about God's calling. And, I love his compassion and forgiveness. Mr. Jeff often posed the question, "What would a hug from Jesus be like?" throughout the summer. I think we can agree based on his compassion and strength that it would be the best hug ever.
Moving forward into the school year, I pray that we can all be image seekers and not slip back into being sin managers. I know that is something that I struggle with on a daily basis, yet remembering Jesus and his incredible example makes it so much easier to be an image seeker. I pray we can be a light to those around us as we seek to attain his full and perfect image.
Until next week, Swamp Bloggers!
P.S. Click here to see the three Swamp Corps trips announced for 2019.
Much Love & Respect,
Julie