Why was I so surprised? We have mirrors in our home. In fact, I pose in front of one daily to assess how much my belly has grown. At 30 weeks pregnant, I'd thought I was doing just fine. However, I'd forgotten that I pose when I look in the mirror. And I pose when I know someone is taking a picture of me. Usually, the perceptions we have of ourselves are based on how we try to look for others, how we want to look for others. Mika's pictures caught me as I appear normally. They helped me to see reality and, in my case, to accept my temporary hugeness.
James talks about the Bible as a mirror in his first chapter. Verses 23-24 say, "For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was." We are all in danger of this. Even if I read the Bible regularly, I can still deceive myself into thinking I have no need to change. James also says this: "If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless" (1:26).
Why would anyone want to do this? Well, why do people pose in front of mirrors?
This is why we need each other's eyes. We need someone to tell us what faults he or she sees in our faith, in our choices, in our standards. If we are so bent on looking good and appearing holy, we can justify or even ignore the ugly reflection of ourselves in Scripture. Without accountability, we can be lost in our own self-righteous assurances.
So do you have someone--a toddler with a camera--who will show you what you yourself refuse to see?
