A few weeks ago I was at a store trying on clothes. In this particular store there was a mirror outside of the dressing room where you could see how you looked. So I stood in front of it, saw my reflection and said, “Wow, I look good!” But then I realized between the lighting of the store and the angle of the mirror, it made my image appear a little bit thinner. I thought to myself, “This is a good mirror! I love this mirror! How can I take this mirror home with me?”
There is another mirror I see every day. I have it in my bathroom. It hangs above my sink with three bright lights beaming down like little spot lights on my face. When I look in that mirror, it reveals every blemish, every scar and every imperfection. I don’t like that mirror.
Lent is a season we look into a mirror which is much like my bathroom mirror. We look at our reflection through the light of Lent and we come face to face with our human imperfection, our flaws and our blemishes. It is not pretty sometimes, but it is reality.
Often times, we like to ignore or pretend our flaws and imperfections are not there. We don’t like seeing our humanness. We don’t like looking at our sin. But here is the great part about Lent….It is during this season we have the opportunity to look at our reflection in that mirror and say, “I don’t want that”. It is our choice to turn, to repent and begin living a different way: The way of Jesus.
May this Lent season be one of not being afraid to look deeply into the mirror Lent. May it be a time to come face to face with our flaws, our imperfections and our sins. May it also be a time to make a choice to turn and become more like Jesus.
Mark 1:7-8 (The Message)
As he preached he said, “The real action comes next: The star in this drama, to whom I’m a mere stagehand, will change your life. I’m baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. His baptism—a holy baptism by the Holy Spirit—will change you from the inside out.”