Allspark, or the kingdom of God within you

"And let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness ..." (Genesis 1:26)

If you read this entire column, you will note that a group of people in Southeast Missouri did an amazing thing for a terminally ill man and his family. When I heard what they did, my mind went to the epigram that begins this screed.

In the first chapter of the first book of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament), we read that God's creative intent was to make beings -- us -- who would in some way resemble the divine. As you read along in Genesis, the fall of humanity is revealed in short order. The woman eats of the forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the man follows suit, and paradise is over. My tradition teaches the narrative that when humanity "fell" in the Garden, that the image of God, the imago Dei in Latin, was obscured but not obliterated. Good alliteration, yes, but what does it mean?

It means, in part, that the perfect image of God, embodied for a very short time in humanity's first couple, Adam and Eve, became muddied and smeared by brazen disobedience -- and sin entered the world. The image was not lost but because of the first couple's actions -- God was a good deal harder to see in the two of them.

I'm a fan of the Transformers movie series -- although the most recent incarnation, "The Age of Extinction," is simply awful. I'm aware that my admiration for Transformers has no doubt caused your respect for me as a columnist to drop a couple of notches. Can't help it. I like it when sports cars and tractor-trailer rigs turn into autobots through the use of special effects. It's the 12-year old boy in me, I suppose. These autobots are enlivened by something called the allspark, which is essentially the soul of a Transformer. Without the allspark, an autobot is just a hunk of otherworldly metal. With it, an autobot becomes something truly special.

Human beings possess an allspark. But in the case of human beings, the allspark has been damaged by the fall. It still functions but far from perfectly. But we are capable of moments of great compassion and kindness from time to time.

Case in point: A local man hires a contractor to do some work on his home. One of the workers, a former Marine from Scott City, a Purple Heart recipient, reveals that he hasn't been feeling well. The reason? He has stage four lung cancer. His lease on life is running out but he has a bucket list to achieve before he passes from this world. All the items on his short list involve family -- a desire for a camping trip is one item, fixing the leak in his roof is another.

This heartbreaking situation went viral in our community. One person told another, the allspark shrugged off its indolence, and people came together to do something that honors the God who made us in his image. The man, Matt Johnston, was provided with a camper to take his grandkids away for a weekend of fun.

While he was gone, an amazing group of people came together to not only replace the roof but to make over Matt's house inside and out. A car was purchased for Matt. Matt's son, also in the Marines, was flown in from Hawaii at a local company's expense, to be present when his dad returned home from camping. A band marched down the street, "God Bless America" was sung, and Matt Johnston -- who was just looking to plug his roof -- now has a beautifully renovated home to leave to his wife and descendants.

Call it an allspark, call it the image of God, call it basic goodness and compassion. Call it what you will. Sometimes we do come together to do amazing things.

Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:21). Yep. That's the allspark. We witnessed it in Scott City. We ought to see it come out more often.

Dr. Jeff Long, of Jackson, is executive director of the Chateau Girardeau Foundation and teaches religious studies at Southeast Missouri State University.