What if Jesus holds a mirror before you...

I wonder what will we see when Jesus holds a mirror before us? Will we see a person well put together, nearing completion, and inches away from the finishing line? Or will we see only brokenness, torn by urges we cannot control, and haunted by past mistakes and regrets we cannot forget? What will the mirror show us? What will it reveal about our hidden desires, goals and motivations? Are we really who we claim to be or is there more to it than meets the eye? Is there a chasm between what we say and what we do? And if we are asked to pour our hearts out before the mirror, what will come gushing forth? Will it be a shout of praise, a celebration of sorts, a victory chant? Or will it be a biting hesitation, a rueful sigh, or a cry for help? Are we transparent and guilt-free before the mirror or are we more of an enigma, wrapped in contradictions, and enshrouded in a war of self-competing desires? Will this mirror unravel us or redeem us? Will it show us what we are afraid to see? Do we have a part of us that we are ashamed of, afraid to reveal too much, and disgusted by? And is our dark side beyond our control and unpredictable at the same time? Do we then secretly protect it, keeping it out of bound, and out of sight and mind? Will this mirror show us what we are running from and where we are running to, or will it only show us what we want to see - leaving what we do not want to see hidden from all? 


Now, what if Jesus were to hold the mirror before you but you are not facing it alone? What if what you see in the mirror is not just your image but a shared image of Jesus and yourself? What will you see then? What will be reflected back to you? Will you still see all your flaws or will you see them placed at the foot of Calvary? Will you be paralyzed over a broken self, torn by desires beyond you, or will you see a crucified savior bearing what is unbearable for you and assuring you that he has got this one? Will you still feel powerless, even tortured by what you cannot comprehend and what you cannot face, or will you be empowered by an act of love that is simply out of this world, and in itself wholly incomprehensible? Will Jesus' shared image in the mirror be your anchor of hope, an assurance that you will soon overcome because he had overcome? Will your past still haunt you if the image of Jesus in the mirror is not just about his gruesome death on the Cross but also about his victory over death? If Christ in you is the hope of glory, what do you then see in the mirror: a defeated soul or a victorious spirit?

Now what if Jesus hands the mirror over to you and asks you to place it before him, what then do you see? In the absence of your image in the mirror, and what beholds you is the face of a crucified and resurrected Savior, how will that image transform you? How will his love empower you, his victory strengthens you, and his hope comforts you? And if you are created in the image of God, shouldn't you see more of God's image in you than yourself in your own image?

Let me leave you with this thought as I end and it is an all-powerful hymn. "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face. And the things of the earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace." Cheerz.