July 9, 2022
Read 1 Corinthians 13:8-13
8 Love never fails. As for prophecies, they will be brought to an end. As for tongues, they will stop. As for knowledge, it will be brought to an end. 9 We know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, what is partial will be brought to an end. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, reason like a child, think like a child. But now that I have become a man, I’ve put an end to childish things. 12 Now we see a reflection in a mirror; then we will see face-to-face. Now I know partially, but then I will know completely in the same way that I have been completely known. 13 Now faith, hope, and love remain—these three things—and the greatest of these is love.
Good morning! . . . and the greatest of these is love!
I listened to the rain as it fell during the night and felt a cleansing within me. After days of humidity and heat, the sound of the long slow rain refreshed my soul. On my morning walk, I saw that my plants were physically renewed as if they had soaked in every morsel of the water that their leaves and soil could hold.
For some passages, I love the poetic language of the KJV. 12 For now we see in a mirror, darkly, but then face to face, but the imagery of seeing a reflection is powerful as well. In later verses, Paul calls us to mirror Christ in our thoughts, words, and actions. 13 But we all, with unveiled faces, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
What do we see when looking into a mirror? Our image is rotated. This becomes evident when you try to do something like fasten the clasp of a necklace while looking in a mirror. Because we have spent so much time on platforms like ZOOM over the past couple of years, we have this same illusion. You are staring at your screen and see some misplaced hair, so you try to straighten it, but the hair is not where it appears to be.
How do we reconcile this mirror imagery as it relates to God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit? Let’s consider three mirrors through which we are changed so that we may experience the divine. When we walk through nature, we see God at work all around us: God reflected through the glory and beauty of nature. Christ is revealed to us as we read the New Testament and the divine became man who taught us through his direct interactions with God’s creation how we should live together in love, mercy, and grace. Finally, when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit begins our transformation through which Christ comes alive within us to give us a glimpse of the divine.
Paul reminds us with his most recited verse that when we reach our destination and come face to face with Christ: Now faith, hope, and love remain—these three things—and the greatest of these is love. The glory of God awaits each faithful disciple. Hallelujah! Amen!
Loving and Gracious God, Thank You for loving us. May we ever move towards the reflection within our internal mirror. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Who will the Holy Spirit reveal within us?
Reflect Christ! Pastor Liz