The mountain where Jesus prayed, the stormy sea he calmed, the people he healed—all were the creative work of God. And in the image of this God, each of us is created. This is no static image. For me, a dynamic image is much more compelling. On our beloved earth, we witness profuse expressions of our God creating new life. God’s creative imagination is worthy of our standing ovation of praise. Just “Wow!” for the dazzling masterpiece of the earth. Praise God for creatures that run, walk, swim, slither, waddle, hop, and fly. Everything God creates is an expression of love. It is neither trite nor superficial that the Scriptures summarize this in three simple words, “God is love.” 

To be fashioned in the image of God is to be life-giving, generative, imaginative, full of fecundity. All of us are gifted with this potential. We’re not merely consumers, we’re creators! To the point—create more than you consume. Create peace and justice. Create connection between diverse peoples. Create art and music. Plant, grow, cultivate life. Create love and support for family, friends, and community. Our gifts, whatever they may be, are to be used to bring about a more life-giving world. 

As Jesus went away by himself to the Father, we also must spend time in prayer, doing the inner work that allows us to discover and cultivate our creativeness. Who knows, we may feel we could even walk on water!