Mirror polishing

In ancient times bronze mirrors had to be polished daily in order to see your reflection.

Otherwise they tarnished quickly, and became dull and useless.

Bronze mirrors displayed in the Corinth museum.

Regarding the great question of our relationship to God, Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “we see and understand only a little about God now, as if we were peering at his reflection in a poor mirror; but someday we are going to see him in his completeness, face to face.” Meanwhile, he said, the most important thing is to “love extravagantly.” (Living Bible and The Message)

This from a man who had to learn, and did, how to deeply love his fellow man.

Mirrors of bronze needed to be polished daily to in order to reflect an image at all. At best the images were dim. Without daily polishing, they quickly tarnished, and became dull and useless. What’s the metaphor here? If we want our thinking to reflect the beauty and joy of God’s creation, we need to keep our thoughts polished – free from the tarnish of hate, anger, resentment, selfishness, anxiety, fear.

How can we accomplish this? Paul sent the answer to his beloved church community in Philippi. He said, "In conclusion, my brothers, fill your minds with those things that are good and deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable." (Today’s English Version)

I think Paul is onto something. Despite the turmoil the media serves up as news, there is much more good than evil in mankind and in the world. What's good is worth zeroing in on, recognizing, and cherishing.

This is where we need to focus thought. It doesn't mean we ignore evil, it means we keep it in perspective. That’s how we polish our mirrors to better see God’s hand in our lives and in the world. That's how we align with the infinite good that overcomes the evil.

By the way, for those who may be interested, this tour was hosted and led by http://www.biblicaltravels.com/