Reflection is the phenomenon of a propagating wave (light or sound) being thrown back from a surface. I remember as a child thinking it was so cool to see my reflection on different objects or surfaces. I thought it was fun to see how my image would change as I moved. Sometimes the image was correct in size and expression, but move just a little, and it would become very distorted. Cameras, mirrors, and many other things can give us a representation of an image, but they can give fake impressions. The best image is always face to face.
I Corinthians 13:12 “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”
Paul wrote this letter to the church in the city of Corinth. Corinth was known for its elegant hand polished mirrors of brass and silver. Images would not have appeared as bright and clear as the mirror of glass that we have today. At best their reflection would have been distorted from reality. Paul says the love that we can see and understand is cloudy and dark in comparison to the true image.
Our vision can greatly influence what we think. For instance, now a person can take a picture and photoshop until the photo tells a totally different story than what it really is. Another reason for seeing something different than what it really may be, is our physical vision. A couple of years ago, I became acutely aware of how important our eyes are to our, “seeing things the way they really are.” A foreign object had invaded the cornea of my eye and it changed everything I saw. Even after the doctor removed it there was a time period that things were not as clear as normal. It required medicine to heal the eye.
Paul reminds us here that all of us have a problem seeing God as he really is. He sees us perfectly, but we see him imperfectly because our vision is imperfect. His love that he has bestowed upon us is beyond our comprehension. I John 3:1 tells us, it is a love that allows us to be called his children. In the next verse he again reminds us that we don’t see things clearly as his children, but one day we will.
I John 3:2 “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”
God did reveal a glimpse of that perfect love when he sent his Son Jesus to this earth to die for sins we committed. Because of His merciful revelation of Himself to us, we do see a portion of His eternal glory. Those who have not placed their faith in Jesus are totally blind. We see imperfectly, but they don’t see at all! While we are in the process of becoming like him, and day by day getting a clearer picture, they remain in darkness. Just like I needed a doctor and medicine, they need the great physician, Jesus Christ, and the medicine of the word of God, to allow them to see clearer.
Day by day as we “take our medicine,” his word reveals who he is to us. As we read in John 3:16, we see God loving us so much that he sacrificed his Son so that we could escape eternal punishment in Hell. Jesus reflects the love that he and the Father have for us.
When he saves us, we are a reflection of His love to the world. We are in the process of becoming like Him. From the moment of salvation until the day we die we are in a time-consuming process that gradually transforms us. Because of the Holy Spirit that lives within us, we know something of the hatred of sin and the joy of holiness. God wants us to experience the love, joy, and peace that passes all understanding. At the time of our full redemption, God will wipe away all tears, and our joy will be unmeasured and unmixed. At that point, we will no longer need a reflection of God. We will see him face to face.
All our thinking will be clear. The mirror will not be dim or cloudy. Our love will be perfect for all eternity. But, until then, we are to be as clear a reflection of Christ as we can be. I have often heard it said that you are the only Bible some people will ever read. Think about your actions and your words; what are they reflecting?
