Introspection: Won't You Be My Mirror?

I share these thoughts hoping they are of help to someone else.
Comments are always welcomed.
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Won't You Be My Mirror?

Two are better than one because they have a good return for their hard work.  If either should fall, one can pick up the other.  But how miserable are those who fall and don't have a companion to help them up!

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (CEB)

You say I am loved when I can't feel a thing
You say I am strong when I think I am weak
And You say I am held when I am falling short
When I don't belong, oh, You say I am Yours

From "You Say" by Lauren Daigle

In early 2021, I read The Authenticity Project by Claire Pooley.  In this novel, a series of people find themselves in possession of a notebook which is also titled The Authenticity Project.  Each person who finds this notebook is invited to read what other people have written about themselves, to write something authentic about herself or himself, and then to leave the notebook in a public place for someone else to find.¹

What becomes clear over the course of this novel is that the people who attempt to write authentically about themselves in the notebook do not see themselves the same way that other people see them.  Usually they are too fixated on their pain or their flaws to see themselves clearly.

This novel helped me to realize is that people cannot truly speak authentically about themselves without having other people to act as a mirror, because people simply cannot see themselves clearly.  If one does not have such a mirror, then one's self-image will be incomplete at best and inaccurate at worst.  There are people in this world who act as if they think they are gods among mortals, while there are other people who act as if they think they are the scum of the earth.  Both of these kinds of people could benefit from someone who would act as a mirror.

Not long ago, I watched an episode of the television drama Numb3rs, in which Don Eppes, one of the show's main characters, tells his younger brother Charlie, another main character, that he sometimes finds him intimidating.²  What is ironic about this revelation is that Don is an FBI agent, while Charlie is a mathematics professor.  One would not expect a tough FBI agent to find a geeky mathematician intimidating.

I remembered that, years ago, a friend of mine described me as "intense."  I did not know what she meant at the time, but I've started to wonder if she was politely trying to tell me that I was intimidating.  If you've ever seen me in person, then you know that I'm not intimidating physically.  Of course, there are other ways to be intimidating.  When I was in school, I flaunted my intelligence every time I had an opportunity.  I had to be noticed for something, after all.  I've also started to wonder if maybe I subconsciously give off intimidating or intense vibes because I often feel inadequate.

Maybe, in some sick way, I'm just flattering myself by thinking that other people might think I'm intimidating.  If I had to choose between being perceived as intimidating and being perceived as pathetic, I would choose the former, though I know that neither is a good thing.  The truth is that I have no idea how other people see me, since I cannot see myself through other people's eyes.  Most of the time, I'm not even sure I really want to know how other people see me.  Furthermore, my self-image is likely inaccurate, since I tend to be overly critical of myself.

As I noted last week, my Sunday school class discusses current events.  A couple of months ago, we discussed an article on Christian influencers, people who share their faith through social media.  At one point in our discussion, I mentioned that, though I've never wanted to share my faith in the way I was taught at the fundamentalist Christian school I attended, I've struggled to figure out how to effectively share my faith.  Most of my ministry takes place within the walls of a church, and, though I share my faith on this blog, a majority of the people who read it are, as far as I can tell, people I know through church.

A friend of mine in the class told me that I wasn't giving myself enough credit.  He said that, in settings like our Sunday school class, I equip other people to better share their faith.  He said that he personally has learned things from me that have helped him to share his faith.  What my friend reflected back to me that Sunday morning helped me to see that I'm doing more than merely preaching to the proverbial choir.

There is an African philosophy known as Ubuntu.  It can be summarized, "A person is a person through people," or it can be summarized, "I am because we are."³  As humans, we are a lot more dependent on one another than we often want to admit.

We cannot see ourselves, so we need people who will act as a mirror for us.  We need to be somewhat selective regarding whom we allow to reflect ourselves back to us, since people don't always have each other's best interests at heart.  We need trustworthy people who will show us the good in ourselves when we become our own worst critics and will kindly bring us back to reality when we become too big for our britches.  We need to be part of a loving community.


Notes:

1. Claire Pooley.  The Authenticity Project.  2020, Penguin Books.
2. "Frienemies."  Numb3rs, created by Nicolas Falacci and Cheryl Heuton, season 5, episode 10, Scott Free Productions, 2008.
3. Wikipedia: "Ubuntu philosophy"

The photograph featured in this introspection was taken by Anna Shvets, and it is used courtesy of Pexels.com.  The photographer is in no way affiliated with this blog.

Perspective: A Religion for the Oppressed

I share these thoughts hoping they are of help to someone else.
Comments are always welcomed.
If you find these thoughts helpful, please share.

A Religion for the Oppressed

Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been raised.  On the Sabbath he went to the synagogue as he normally did and stood up to read.  The synagogue assistant gave him the scroll from the prophet Isaiah.  He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me.
He has sent me to preach good news to the poor,
to proclaim release to the prisoners
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to liberate the oppressed,
and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.

He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the synagogue assistant, and sat down.  Every eye in the synagogue was fixed on him.  He began to explain to them, "Today, this scripture has been fulfilled just as you heard it."

Luke 4:16-21 (CEB)

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
Step out of line, the man come and take you away

From "For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield

The Sunday school class I help lead at my church discusses current events in light of the Christian faith.  Not too long ago the class read and discussed a news story that mentioned a vibrant and growing underground church in a nation where Christianity is essentially illegal.  We considered the question of why the Christian faith seems to thrive in such places.  I do not have a definitive answer to this question, but I do have a theory.

I suspect that, in a nation where people do not have the freedom of religion, people probably do not have much freedom in general.  In other words, people in such nations are oppressed.  I believe that Christianity thrives when it serves the oppressed.  Furthermore, I believe that Christianity was always meant to be a religion for the oppressed.

Consider the Gospel story.  Over two thousand years ago, Jesus of Nazareth was born into an oppressed group of people, namely the Jewish people.  He ministered to His own people and to people of other nations, teaching them to love their neighbors, giving them hope, and healing those in need of healing.  One day, Jesus was brutally and wrongfully executed by His people's oppressors, namely the Roman Empire.  A couple of days later, He was resurrected from the dead.  He was then raised up to Heaven and revealed to be both the Son of God and the true Lord of this world.

The Gospel story would naturally be compelling to people suffering with a proverbial boot on their necks.  It offers them the hope that their oppressors are not truly in control and the hope that the worst thing that their oppressors could do to them would not truly be their end.  It might even inspire them to boldly take a stand against their oppressors.

The Gospel story has the power to save people.

Everything good in this world has the potential to become corrupted, and sadly the religion inspired by the crucified and risen Jesus is no exception.  Ever since the days of the Roman emperor Constantine, the Christian church has made compromises with the powers that be, trading its prophetic power for political influence.¹  The religion for the oppressed becomes a tool of oppression.  The story with the power to liberate people from their fear is twisted into a message intended to control people with fear.  "Believe what I tell you to believe and live how I tell you to live, or else you will suffer forever and ever," people hear.

The separation of church and state is necessary for maintaining the integrity of the church.  A religion that partners with an oppressive government will inevitably become a tool of oppression.  The church will never reform the state with such a partnership, but the state will most certainly hijack the church.

The Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus offers a way of life for people who follow Him,² begins with a series of blessings for certain people.  Jesus blesses "the poor in spirit" and "those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake," promising that the Kingdom of God is for them.  He also blesses "those who mourn," promising that comfort is on the way.³  Jesus is blessing people who are oppressed either by circumstance, by loss, or by other people, perhaps their government.  Jesus also blesses the gentle, the just, the merciful, the pure-hearted, and the peaceable.⁴  Jesus blesses the kind of people who would minister to the oppressed.

If Christ blesses people who are oppressed and people who would minister to the oppressed, then the religion that bears His name must be a religion for the oppressed and not a religion for their oppressors.  A religion for the oppressed offers people hope amid their oppression.  A religion for oppressors has nothing good to offer anyone.  It can only give people the false assurance that, if they support their oppressive leaders, they are in the right and numb their consciences to the suffering of their neighbors.

If you fear that Christianity is in decline where you live, consider how the religion is currently functioning in your society.  Is it serving the oppressed, or is it serving their oppressors?  Is it liberating people from their fears, or is it instilling fear into people?


Notes:

1. Wikipedia: "Constantinian shift"
2. Matthew 5-7
3. Matthew 5:3-4, 10 (NRSV)
4. Matthew 5:5-9

The Sermon on the Mount was painted by Carl Heinrich Bloch in 1877.

Perspective: An Unacceptable Loss

I share these thoughts hoping they are of help to someone else.
Comments are always welcomed.
If you find these thoughts helpful, please share.

An Unacceptable Loss

You have heard that it was said, You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy.  But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who harass you so that you will be acting as children of your Father who is in heaven.  He makes the sun rise on both the evil and the good and sends rain on both the righteous and the unrighteous.

Matthew 5:43-45 (CEB)

Hello, it's Me
I couldn't sleep
I was just counting sheep
And I'm missing you

From "Bring You Back" by Paul Alan

In the Gospels, Jesus tells a story about a shepherd who has one hundred sheep in his care.  At one point, the shepherd realizes that one of the sheep is missing, so he leaves the ninety-nine others where they are and searches for the lost sheep.  When he finds the missing sheep, he rejoices as if the sheep he just found means more to him than the ninety-nine sheep that did not go astray.¹

The Parable of the Lost Sheep is found in both the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke.  Perhaps the most significant difference between the two versions of the parable is the context in which Jesus tells it.

In the Gospel of Luke, we read that one day Jesus overhears some religious leaders criticizing Him for associating with so-called "sinners."  He tells them the Parable of the Lost Sheep, along with two other parables, to help them to understand why he fellowships with the people they ostracize.²  Jesus concludes the Parable of the Lost Sheep, saying, "In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who changes both heart and life than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to change their hearts and lives."³

Jesus associates with so-called "sinners" because, unlike the religious leaders, He is unwilling to write them off as "lost."

In the Gospel of Matthew, we read that one day, when the Disciples ask Jesus "who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven," He calls a child to sit with them and tells them that, if they want to enter the kingdom of heaven, then they need to become like the child.⁴  Next, using some very strong language, Jesus warns the Disciples to take care that they do not do anything that might lead a child of God down a destructive path.⁵  Then, He tells them the Parable of the Lost Sheep to highlight how important all of God’s children are to God.  He concludes the parable, saying, "In the same way, my Father who is in heaven doesn’t want to lose one of these little ones."⁶

In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus follows up the Parable of the Lost Sheep by giving the Disciples some instructions for reconciling with someone in their faith community who has wronged them.⁷  Though we typically think that these instructions are for confronting wrongdoers in a faith community, I would like to suggest, given their placement in the Gospel, that their purpose is ultimately to repair fractured relationships between followers of Jesus.

Jesus does not want His followers to "lose" anyone through either their actions or their inaction.

In either context, one lesson we can glean from the Parable of the Lost Sheep is that, in the same way that the shepherd in the parable is not willing to write off any one of his sheep as lost, we must never write off a fellow child of God as lost.  We must not write off a person as lost if they fail to live up to our standards, and we must not write off a person as lost if they have personally offended us.  A wayward child of God is still a beloved child of God.


Notes:

1. Matthew 18:12-13; Luke 15:4-6
2. Luke 15:1-32
3. Luke 15:7 (CEB)
4. Matthew 18:1-3 (CEB)
5. Matthew 18:6-7
6. Matthew 18:14 (CEB)
7. Matthew 18:15-17

Le Bon Pasteur was painted by James Tissot in the late 1800s.