The wonder of Eden has been lost and the beautiful freedom and boundless joys of Creation has been tragically tarnished. Judgements and curses have taken the place of peace and blessings. The door has been opened to inequality, selfishness, oppression and poverty. It makes for grim reading.

From the mundane to the devastating, we are only too aware of the realities of the imperfect world in which we live, before even considering global, seemingly unresolvable issues such as war and natural disasters. The perfection of the creation described to us in the opening two chapters of the Bible is painfully distant from today’s world. In our own imperfect lives, we are confronted with this reality on a daily basis.

As we turn to the third chapter of Genesis, we’re shown how the beauty of all God had made was marred; how Creation was plunged into crisis. Poverty and inequality are very much at the centre of this crisis and continue to be so today.

Agency – in our relationships, resources, and capabilities – enables us to act meaningfully in the world.

Being an image-bearer means our relationships, with God and with other image-bearers too, are to be marked by trust, intimacy and friendship.

This was God’s original intent and it has not changed.

Being made in the image of God means all human beings are to be taken seriously, treated with respect and dignity no matter their age, gender, social status or wealth.