What are some examples of dead images in us?

If you have not read through my post on graven images, I walked through how an image is anything that is dead and does not bring life to others, including our own pursuits.

Yesterday, I gave you an example of how I was struggling with image – the first example of a dead image. Thanks for sticking with me in my humanity. Being a person who tends to be reserved in person, I wonder if I am too real with you in writing sometimes.

What are some examples of dead images in us?

Dead images are widespread and varied, so let’s just start with some basic images that most of us can identify and relate to.

Let’s start with an 80’s move, the Breakfast Club, to help us generalize some images:

• the brain
• the athlete
• the basket case
• the princess
• the criminal

These categorizes quickly put a face to a type of person for us. Most of the time, these categories are our image, but sometimes they are what is really real about us. Sometimes a stereotype is real and sometimes it is an image that we portray or that others falsely believe about us. Often we form tribes around our image.

When I was brainstorming for the series, I listed of the following types of image, many pertaining especially to Christians:

1. appearance – thin, beautiful, attractive, well dressed
2. communication – well spoken, articulate
3. wisdom – those that rely solely on doctrine or intellect
4. righteous – unwilling to admit our humanity
5. holy – those who seem to have a direct line to God

and the list could go on with other types like: nerdy, cool, preppy, punk, hipster, etc.

How many of us are really as we are stereotyped?

What about Christian image?

Mainstream culture has an image of Christians. I’m not sure I would like their image, but when I think of “christian,” it is so varied and undefinable because we are a myriad of people such that I cannot settle on one particular image. However, the “christian” image should be a reflection of Christ – united in Him as a person and as a body. I cannot help but wonder how we could reflect Christ better. However, I think though we move toward Him in heart obedience, His work in us is the brilliance of Himself, so today a prayer for our image.

Lord,

We have failed you and ourselves. You said that you gave us a new command to love as You love us, and yet we as a people have not always loved you, ourselves, or others well. We have become like the Pharisees, rule followers going in lifeless motion, but Lord, we need a revival across the land and across the world. Let your Spirit so richly dwell in us that Light is cast brighter than the sun so that we shine the Son. Jesus is the image of you, the invisible God. As His ambassadors, we ask that we may be alive, full of Spirit, and full of your glory, that we may be a display of your glorious splendor. Lord, that we would see hearts moved, and the world changed. Hope given, and Love received. Let us be Lovers of You so that we can Love those you also Love. Let our false images fall away. Let us remove idols and see ourselves as you see us and grant the same to the aching world around us. I am reminded of the words of the song, “God’s not dead, He’s surely alive. He’s living on the inside, roaring like a lion.” We want others to see this in us. We want you to resurrect dead hearts – even our own. Make us Jesus lovers. Let us accept the breath You breath into us, and let us breath life into others. In Jesus’ name.

Amen

This post is one of a 31 day series, Image Reflections: asking questions of being. You can read more in this series by clicking the icon below.

If you would like to keep up with all the posts, be sure to subscribe here. Thank you for subscribing – if there is any way I can further serve you, please feel free to drop me a note in my inbox. Also, let me know if you have any questions.