“As waters reflect the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.”
Proverbs 27:19, NIV
Over a year ago, I enrolled in an online iPhone photography course. Besides receiving instruction from experienced iPhone photographers on how to capture and edit remarkable photos, students are invited to join a Facebook community of their peers and participate in constructive critiques.
While on vacation last summer, I was struck by the crystal-clear reflection of a yellow house along the canal and captured the image with my iPhone. When I edited my photo, I cropped out the majority of the land portion of the house to emphasize its outstanding reflection. After posting my photo in the online community, I received favorable comments, but I also received some stating that I should’ve included in my picture the source of the reflection—the house itself. One comment especially resonated with me: “The reflection is the hero, but without the source, it’s not as powerful.”
Many houses reflected in the canal that evening, but the element that made this reflection outstanding was the angle of the sun. I snapped the photo during the golden hour—the last hour before sunset—the hour when the sun’s rays bring ordinary objects to life with a golden glow. The water mirrored the house above it, but without its remarkable light source, the reflection would’ve lost its impact.
God created us in his image, but we were born into a fallen world and possessed a sinful nature. If we confess our sin and invite Christ to be our Savior, he forgives our sin. From that moment forward, as we devote time to Bible study and prayer, our lives begin to take on the characteristics of Christ. The more time we invest, the more we grow spiritually, and the more accurate the reflection of Christ in us becomes.
The mirrored image of the yellow house was what caught my attention that evening, but when my eyes moved upward, I saw the actual house. How do others respond when they see the image we reflect? Do their eyes travel upward to the origin of the reflection—the light of Jesus Christ?
We either mirror the characteristics of our Heavenly Father or those of a fallen world. Indeed, the image we reflect may be the hero, but without Christ as the light source, it loses its power.
As Easter approaches, may the reflection of Christ in us inspire others to look heavenward and see our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Happy Easter!
Starr Ayers