Divine Spark

GROWING THE PRESENCE OF GOD WITHIN US

Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.” - Albert Camus

As a husband, father and son, I owe a lot to women. I have been married to my wife for 30 years and can say I am more captivated by her now than ever before. I don’t know if this is because my wife has changed over the years or because I have changed over the years. It is probably a bit of both. All I do know is that life with my wife is never boring; it just keeps getting better and better.

I also have a 21-year-old daughter who I have watched grow up from a little girl to a responsible woman. She, like my wife and I, has gone through various changes in her personality, outlook, and character. Once again, all I can say is it keeps getting better.

My mother is a strong Irish lady who taught me to stay true to my convictions and stand up for what is right and good no matter the personal cost. Now she is elderly and battling against the enemy we will all eventually lose to—time. But I have to tell you something—she is really giving time a run for its money. My mother is a fighter, a true symbol of the “fighting Irish,” and I actually feel sorry for time as my mother is giving it a real whooping.

Three strong, talented and gifted women. Three women that have the “imago dei” (Image of God) imprinted in them. In fact, every person possesses the imago dei which makes every one of us sacred and valuable. We are all born with God’s beauty marks imprinted deeply in our souls. This is why it hurts me to see women devalued by a society that exalts appearance over substance and power over caring. From observing life with my wife and daughter, these are huge issues women have to face on top of their sexualization through media, advertising, and other sources. Unfortunately, in today’s society it is still a man’s world when it comes to these areas of our culture, and we need to do all we can to put a stop to it. Instead of harming the imago dei in women, let’s fan it into flame.

I love how the ancient Jewish mystics described this imago dei as the sparks of God’s Shekinah glory living inside of every person. These mystics believed our job was to fan those sparks into flames, and by doing this we grow the presence of God in every person. What a great way to look at people and our responsibility to tease God’s glory out of every soul we meet. That is a sacred purpose and responsibility for all of us.

Let’s take this holy task to heart and commit to fan the sparks of God’s glory ever present in the souls of women. What does that look like? For me, it meant supporting my wife as she completed her Masters in Leadership this past April. What a privilege to join God in helping release the leadership gifts He created her to have. Now as she lives into her calling, I get the honour to encourage her in practical ways. As for my daughter,

I need to keep fanning the flames of God in her

by listening to her dreams, encouraging her in her talents and bringing her into understanding her value as a daughter of God. As a father of a young woman like my daughter, it also means using my influence as a man to break the glass ceiling still present in our culture holding women back from the equality they deserve as the imago dei bearers that they are. By doing this, we not only bless our daughters but also help this world to be a better place because of what our daughters bring to the table.

The great French Philosopher, Albert Camus, once said; “Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.”

Any leader worth his or her salt leads by walking beside others. As we walk life, let us pursue practical ways we can fan into flame the imago dei present in all people and in particular the women in our lives. They are worth it. They are the images of God.

/ COLIN MCCARTNEY is an ordained minister, speaker, and a bestselling author. He is also the founder of UrbanPromise Toronto and now leads Connect Ministries in Toronto where he, his wife Judith, and their two children reside. For information in booking Colin as a speaker, please visit www.connectministries.org.