The Real Picture

by Rev. Thomas R. Fuller

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood.” -1 Corinthians 13:12

Although people have seen themselves reflected in water since the beginning of time, they haven’t had the benefit of viewing themselves in all their glory in what we would call a mirror until recent history. Early attempts at making mirrors have been mentioned in the Bible and in ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman literature, but generally these devices were made out of polished brass or bronze. The medium, as well as the primitive polishing techniques, were never able to produce a very clear reflection.

The earliest glass mirrors, backed with shiny metal, appeared in Italy during the fourteenth century. The original process for creating a glass mirror was to coat one side of the glass with mercury and polished tin foil. But the process for creating what we would call a genuine glass mirror was perfected by a German chemist in 1835 named Justus von Liebig. His process consisted of pouring ammonia and silver on a sheet of clear glass, and then adding formaldehyde, which produce an incredibly shiny surface that reflected light with great clarity. For many years, all mirrors were produced using this process.

Today, of course, there are many materials and processes used in making mirrors, and the expensive ones are of very high quality. Sometimes, when I catch my reflection in a mirror, particularly the full-length variety, I wish they weren’t so clear.

When Paul wrote about seeing himself in a mirror, he didn’t have the benefit of a clear one. When he saw his reflection, a lot of details weren’t very visible. His reflection was hazy and out of focus. Try as he might, he just couldn’t make everything out. He could never get much better than a fuzzy, distorted picture of himself.

That didn’t worry or upset Paul, because he knew that some day, the perfect would come. Knowledge would be complete. He would see Jesus, not through the eyes of faith, but face to face. On that day, he would understand. He would see things, for the very first time, with complete clarity.

In our own day, we have the benefit of seeing ourselves clearly reflected physically, and maybe that’s why we are so consumed with our appearance. But we have the same problem Paul had when it comes to knowing ourselves. Our self-perception doesn’t always jive with reality.

Perhaps a mirror is not the best tool for knowing one’s self. Generally, our encounters with mirrors reflect only our own face. Maybe we need to look at more of the faces around us. This week, I have had the image of a beautiful, young girl in my mind. Even though I have never met this girl, her image is so very clear that it’s breaking my heart.

You see, this young, beautiful girl was murdered this past week in our city as she sat reading in her own home. She was yet another innocent victim of the senseless violence that has become a common part of everyday life in Jacksonville.

Her image in my mind reveals more about who I am and who we are than a glimpse of my own sorry face in a mirror. It’s a picture that I would rather not see, but it’s the real picture. And maybe, if we can begin to see ourselves as we really are, we can work on being transformed into the kind of people we’ve thought we were all along.