We Are Imago Dei

Hi! We are Imago Dei. 

Imago Dei is a Latin phrase that translates to “the image of God”, a concept that we first see in Genesis 1:27 when God first talks about mankind. It was the moment God chose to share his likeness with us, desiring that we would also reflect him – his true nature, his word and the diverse facets of his beauty. 

The Imago Dei is Expressed in Diversity

We like to preface this with “we” because it includes… you. All of us, together, reflect the image of God.  When we learn more about our unique selves and those around us, we begin to reflect him more – diverse peoples, operating with others in one accord. By nature, God is too beautiful for only one person, or one group of people, to reflect him. Yet just as a choir or orchestra has many different sounds but flows in dynamic unity, we too can exist with differences and similarities, dissonance and harmonies.

But That Doesn’t Sound Like the World we Live In?

Though this may be the world we dream of - unity and color and everyone flowing together peacefully - it’s not yet the world we live in. Instead, when most people hear “Diversity”, it brings up a wide range of feelings: maybe fear or curiosity, maybe shame, maybe hope. External voices seem to tell you that you are the problem, or that there is no problem. These lies often echo through the many narratives around us, battling in our subconscious through social media, schools, pulpits or friends. 

While these narratives are not all bad, we raise a red flag to the ones that push us toward untruth, or toward behaviors that don’t reflect the Fruit of the Spirit and actions of a true believer (Romans 8). Polarizing narratives often cause disunity within those called to be One in Christ (Galatians 3).  And because of this, the church needs more examples of what unity does look like. This is why we exist as an organization: to help believers to have a restored confidence and voice on topics related to diversity and belonging, within the church and society.  

Our response?

Imago Dei Consulting has intentionally sought biblical foundations of diversity, experienced in community. Biblical foundations give us our anchor, concepts and language that people can rally around. Experiencing it in community allows us to discover what God uniquely has for you (all). Some of our favorite concepts are summarized in our values: 

BIBLICAL - Founded in scripture 

UNIFYING - Unity over Uniformity 

HONORING - We honor with Honesty

OPTIMISTIC - Faith for the Future 

PRESENT - Present for the journey 

Leaders Are Learning Too

These values come from real life needs expressed by pastors, parents and believers in the workplace who have sought help to navigate complex conversations related to diversity and belonging. We often remind ourselves that this is not new work to God! He intentionally designed the New Testament, through various writers giving  different responses, to different churches, different leaders and different cities. Similarly, we help churches navigate their current climate, unique calling and community needs.  Our dream is to inspire them toward a higher vision that embodies greater levels of diversity. This is why we share, diversity is not a problem to solve, but a garden to grow. 

It is About the Individual and the Collective

But how? To follow the garden analogy, we work on three levels: the individual flower (identity), the community of faith or soil you are planted in (invitation), and the ecosystem your community exists in (influence).  Our services are designed to support all three layers: individual coaching, collective learning and organizational planning. Within each layer, we infuse our activities with research and resources to not only help people anchor in knowledge, but also through action to become the type of people who can reflect the Imago Dei. 

What is My Role?

As we each represent different dimensions of diversity, each person will also have a wide range of opportunities and needs. We hope that you will take time to consider your role, wherever you come from, and ask more questions about how God may as you or your community to grow in diversity and belonging. For now, we welcome you to follow us on our own discovery journey, leave comments or questions below!

Reflective Question for our readers: How will you continue to learn about God’s heart for diversity and make it your primary filter?