A Life Worthy of Imago Dei — Part 2: The Expectations of the Holy
When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, an expert in the law, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22: 34–40 NRVUE)
In the heart of Christian existentialist philosophy, we find a resounding call to embrace a life that reflects the Imago Dei — the image of God. This call beckons us to a journey beyond the confines of rigid dogmas and cultural norms. In this second part of our exploration, we delve into what it means to live a life that aligns with the expectations of the Holy, as articulated by Jesus in Matthew 22:34–40.
The Core Commandments: Love God and Love Neighbor
At the crux of our discussion lies a profound interaction between Jesus and a Pharisee, an expert in the law. The Pharisee’s question was not just a test of Jesus’ scriptural knowledge but a deeper probe into the essence of religious life. Jesus’ response was both revolutionary and foundational: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind… Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Stripping Away Cultural Confinements
Much like in Jesus’ time, we are often trapped by cultural mores and societal expectations that dictate our actions and beliefs in our contemporary world. These external forces can lead us to cage ourselves and those around us within stringent norms. Jesus’ words, however, invite us to break free from these constraints. To love God wholly and our neighbor as ourselves is to transcend the superficial layers of cultural dictates and reach into the core of divine expectation.
Loving God: A Personal, Existential Journey
To love God with all our heart, soul, and mind is not merely a doctrinal command but an existential invitation to a personal relationship with the Divine. Kierkegaard and Augustine, in their explorations of faith, emphasize this personal dimension of spirituality. This love for God is not about adherence to rituals or dogmas but an inner transformation, a passionate pursuit of the Divine that permeates every aspect of our being.
Loving Neighbor: An Extension of Divine Love
The command to love our neighbor as ourselves is intrinsically linked to our love for God. It is an acknowledgment that each bears the Imago Dei. In loving our neighbor, we recognize and honor the divine image in them. This love transcends mere tolerance or superficial kindness; it is a deep, existential commitment to see others not through societal labels or cultural prejudices but as fellow bearers of the divine image.
The Fulcrum of the Law and Prophets
Jesus asserts that the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. This statement is not a dismissal of religious law or prophetic teachings; instead, it is an elevation of love as the fulcrum upon which all religious understanding must balance. The laws and the prophets, in their truest essence, guide us towards this love — love for God and love for neighbor.
Living the Expectations of the Holy
To live a life worthy of Imago Dei, then, is to engage in this dual command of love actively. It is to strip away the layers of cultural norms that bind and divide and to embrace a life of profound love and existential authenticity. This is the expectation of the Holy — a call to a life where our actions, thoughts, and relationships are anchored in the transcendent love Jesus exemplified.
In our journey towards understanding and living these divine expectations, let us remember that this is not a path of ease or conformity. It is a path marked by introspection, transformation, and a relentless pursuit of the Holy through how we love God and our neighbor. This, honestly, is a life worthy of Imago Dei.
