Mirror, mirror
I’ve heard this life called many things, but I don’t know if I’ve ever heard it called image reflection. I mean, I know that we’ve all heard the cliches’ of how image is everything and other rambles that are to bring about deep, inner reflection, but to combine the two was something that was very foreign to me until just recently. Don’t fret, this isn’t a rant on the man in the glass, or how we should remove lumber from our own eye before plucking at splinters in the eyes of others, it’s just an idea that I propose in this market place of free thought exchange. An idea whose time has come in my own life and just maybe has come in yours. A part of me died just recently and I just thought that, if privy to the eulogy, you might just want a part of you to die too.
How is it that we’ve come to this? How is it that we characterize and even justify our behavior on the whole with attributes best left in the animal kingdom? Anyone ever hear or use the phrases, dog eat dog or monkey see, monkey do? {insert nervous laughter here…} Of course, we all have heard or used these sayings, but when did we actually buy into them? When did we subversively subject ourselves to standards held for the beasts of the earth, instead of those held for the stewards of every living thing on the earth? Have we forgotten who we are? Have we forgotten our place and to whom we belong? How have we lost our way and how do we get back?
I propose that some reflection be in order here. I’m not talking about the deep inner kind of reflection some would say is necessary to "heal ourselves", because I’m not convinced that we have the capabilities. That supposes that there is or was something inherently good there, down deep inside and I’m not sold on that either. If that were the case, how do you explain the Hitler’s, Manson’s or Hussein’s of the world? If we’ve got the goods that it takes to lift us up by our own bootstraps, why are some bent on choking the life out of the helpless with those same straps? I’ve heard it said that there are none worthy, no not one and I can more readily belief it.
Neither do I recommend reflecting the same grief that we get from the world or from our fellow man. Even when done with the intention of performing good or good deeds, we maim, injure, ravage and sometimes destroy our friends and neighbors in the process. Reflections of this type only perpetuates the behavior and escalates the rate of destruction. Oh, but that is not the way my friends. The golden rule now states to do unto others before they have the opportunity to do unto you and boy do we ever. Even if we are chastened, or more likely, not the first to be able to "get at or back at" our others, we don’t forget. We store that wrong away for a rainy day and make use of it when it best suites us and when the others lest expect it.
We even reflect wrong in our trying to do right. How can this be? How can we be the arm of the Almighty and reflect the non-mighty? How can we represent the incorruptible and reflect corruption? It is very strange in deed, but very true. When we attempt to correct and do so in the flesh that is slow to hear, quick to speak and especially quick to anger it can and does happen without us even realizing it.
So what are we to do? How are we to not eat dog or monkey do after definitely being eaten by the dog or seeing the monkey? What type of reflection are we to attain? I guess that after all this, one cliché’ mentioned before is true, that image is everything. Hebrews tells us that Christ is the exact imprint or reflection of God and that we can have no clearer view of God than by looking at Christ.
His image is everything. He gave you and me a mirror and now we have a choice. Are we going the way of Cain and reflect the image that’s wronged or hurt us or do we reflect His image. Are we going to reflect the desire of the flesh in correction of our peers or are we to reflect His image that corrects in love. The flesh that once held my mirror died recently and I hope that it remains below. My mirror reflects His radiance and is held with spiritual hands that are of worth only because He made them so. What’s holding your mirror?
How is it that we’ve come to this? How is it that we characterize and even justify our behavior on the whole with attributes best left in the animal kingdom? Anyone ever hear or use the phrases, dog eat dog or monkey see, monkey do? {insert nervous laughter here…} Of course, we all have heard or used these sayings, but when did we actually buy into them? When did we subversively subject ourselves to standards held for the beasts of the earth, instead of those held for the stewards of every living thing on the earth? Have we forgotten who we are? Have we forgotten our place and to whom we belong? How have we lost our way and how do we get back?
I propose that some reflection be in order here. I’m not talking about the deep inner kind of reflection some would say is necessary to "heal ourselves", because I’m not convinced that we have the capabilities. That supposes that there is or was something inherently good there, down deep inside and I’m not sold on that either. If that were the case, how do you explain the Hitler’s, Manson’s or Hussein’s of the world? If we’ve got the goods that it takes to lift us up by our own bootstraps, why are some bent on choking the life out of the helpless with those same straps? I’ve heard it said that there are none worthy, no not one and I can more readily belief it.
Neither do I recommend reflecting the same grief that we get from the world or from our fellow man. Even when done with the intention of performing good or good deeds, we maim, injure, ravage and sometimes destroy our friends and neighbors in the process. Reflections of this type only perpetuates the behavior and escalates the rate of destruction. Oh, but that is not the way my friends. The golden rule now states to do unto others before they have the opportunity to do unto you and boy do we ever. Even if we are chastened, or more likely, not the first to be able to "get at or back at" our others, we don’t forget. We store that wrong away for a rainy day and make use of it when it best suites us and when the others lest expect it.
We even reflect wrong in our trying to do right. How can this be? How can we be the arm of the Almighty and reflect the non-mighty? How can we represent the incorruptible and reflect corruption? It is very strange in deed, but very true. When we attempt to correct and do so in the flesh that is slow to hear, quick to speak and especially quick to anger it can and does happen without us even realizing it.
So what are we to do? How are we to not eat dog or monkey do after definitely being eaten by the dog or seeing the monkey? What type of reflection are we to attain? I guess that after all this, one cliché’ mentioned before is true, that image is everything. Hebrews tells us that Christ is the exact imprint or reflection of God and that we can have no clearer view of God than by looking at Christ.
His image is everything. He gave you and me a mirror and now we have a choice. Are we going the way of Cain and reflect the image that’s wronged or hurt us or do we reflect His image. Are we going to reflect the desire of the flesh in correction of our peers or are we to reflect His image that corrects in love. The flesh that once held my mirror died recently and I hope that it remains below. My mirror reflects His radiance and is held with spiritual hands that are of worth only because He made them so. What’s holding your mirror?
posted by lee at 9:17 AM
1 Comments:
Dude, what's up with these last couple of posts? Are you trying to take the easy way out, man? Others may not know, but I know that you're cheating... but with all things considered, cheating may be the only way they'll ever get read. Keep rockin', brother.
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