Image of God

A man went to an Orthodox monastery. He was a skeptic. He didn't believe in God. He was essentially an atheist, and he went to the abbot of the monastery, and he said, "I want to see God".

And the abbot said, "OK, I'll show you God".

And the man said, "You will? You'll show me God?"

And the abbot said, "Yes, I'll show you God."

And the man said, "Go ahead and show me."

So the abbot took him to the most grungy monk in the monastery. This monk was sort of shabby, and the abbot turned to the man, and pointing to the monk said, "There is God".

And the skeptic said, "That's not God. That's just an old, grungy monk!"

And the abbot said, "If you cannot see God in that man, then you will never see God at all."

What was the basis for his comment? It was that God created mankind in his own image and likeness, and therefore, even though we have fallen humanity, it is still in the image of God. - Fr. John Braun on Human Dignity and the Image of God

Made in God's Image, but not the Likeness

All men are made in God's image; but to be in His likeness is granted only to those who through great love have brought their own freedom into subjection to God. For only when we do not belong to ourselves do we become like Him who through love has reconciled us to Himself. -- St Diadochus Photike